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Gardeners at Paultons Park, are going up against a TV wildlife expert in the south coast's biggest charity pumpkin growing competition.

Run by Fairweather's garden centre, the Giant Pumpkin Quest will offer participants plants grown from the seeds of three of the UK's largest pumpkins - some of which weighed the equivalent of four baby elephants.

The super seeds, which are now available to buy as plants at the Beaulieu village garden centre, were donated by champion Hampshire growers, Ian and Stuart Paton.

The seeds from the largest pumpkins of 2006 - one of which weighed 1,124lb - and should have the genetic potential to grow to gigantic proportions.

Wildlife broadcaster and Hampshire resident Chris Packham marked the start of the competition as he planted the seeds in his front garden. He's now taking a fiercely competitive approach, he says: "I think it may have been Dale Carnegie who said winning isn't everything but it's the only thing that counts' and I've always stuck to that. If there's anyway of making my pumpkin massive I will employ it, I'm not saying I'll cheat but I'll come as close to it as I can!"

Now anyone with a competitive nature and green-fingered ambitions can join the race to grow their own XXL sized vegetables while raising money for Children In Need and the Jubilee Sailing Trust through sponsorship.

Fairweather's Giant Pumpkin Quest has also captured the imagination of gardeners at Beaulieu Motor Museum, Exbury Gardens, Compton Acres in Poole and a host of allotment groups.

Patrick Fairweather, owner of Fairweather's garden centre, will be providing top tips.

"There's no magic to growing these vegetables, it's all about preparing the soil with some manure before planting, also making sure the soil doesn't dry out. If you can try and feed it once a week then you'll end up with a bigger beast at the end of the season!" he said.

Visitors to the garden centre will also be able to chart the progress of Fairweather's own pumpkin growing efforts by visiting the Learning Garden, directly opposite the garden centre .

For more information on the Pumpkin Quest visit www.fairweathers.co.uk

9:50am Saturday 21st June 2008

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