Squash Hunt 2024

Visit for our annual Squash Hunt

October 1–31, 2024

Discover the gardens this fall during our annual Squash Hunt. Explore the grounds with your map in search of these home-grown, decorative delicacies! Children can get a sticky tape bracelet from the volunteer greeter or Guest Services staff and set off on a fall gathering adventure through the gardens. Stop at multiple squash displays, discover a treat from nature, and use it to decorate your bracelet.

Pause at the Residence to snap a photo of yourselves with our giant pumpkins and guess their combined weight to be entered in a drawing for a choice between six gift admission passes or a complimentary Friends/Family Membership to Bloedel Reserve.

Dress up for Halloween on October 26 and trick-or-treat yourself to a hot cup of cider before you set off on your adventure through the gardens!

Timed tickets are required and the event is included with cost of admission to the Reserve. Fall hours are 10 AM-5 PM and the last entry is 90 minutes before closing.

Learn more about the history of our annual squash hunt here.

Download your event map below, or get one when you arrive!

How to make your own Gourd Ornaments

You’ll need the following supplies: Gourds, soap & water, various colors of wood stain, clear varathane finish, cheap paint brushes or paint staining sponges, gloves.

For hanging: Small eye screws, fishing line or decorative twine or ribbon for hanging.

• Select an number of gourds to make into ornaments
• Place them in a clean, dry area away from critters to let them dry out–this typically takes roughly 1 year
• Once the gourds are dried out (you’ll be able to hear seeds rattling inside and the skin will be hard and shiny) scrub them clean using soap and water
• Leave them to dry out in the sun
• Clip their stem handles to the desired length

You’re done here, unless you want to hang the gourds as ornaments!

• To prepare the gourds for hanging, make a small hole in the stem or in the very top of the gourd–be careful not to push too hard or you can break the gourd
• Using gently pressure, slowly screw the eye screw into the hole you’ve made until it holds well
• Tie a fishing knot with fishing line, or use decorative twine or ribbon to attach to the eye screw–you could also attach Christmas tree ornament hooks to the eye screws
• Decorate!

How to Grow a Giant Pumpkin

Want to try your hand at growing a giant pumpkin? Here are some tips from the Bloedel Reserve Horticulture team to get you started:

• Use seeds collected from pumpkins specifically bred for size.
• Sow your seed indoors in early to mid-April.
• Move your plants out of doors in mid-May.
• Fertile soil is key. Plant in soil amended with well-rotted manure or compost.
• Bury the stems as the vines grow along the ground to encourage a wider root system.
• Keep the soil adequately moist. Don’t let your soil dry out but but don’t let it be continually swampy either.
• Hand-pollinate a small number of female flowers by early July. You can use the pollen from male flowers on the same plant or from another plant that has also been grown from seed bred for size.
• Thin your gourds down to the one or two fastest-growing pumpkins on the vine, once they have reached beach ball size. Fewer pumpkins = bigger pumpkins!
• Shade your pumpkins. This keeps the skin soft and helps to keep them from cracking as they put on size.

Thanks to Fat Turnip Farms @FatTurnipFarms for supplying additional squash for our displays this year!

Special thanks to our event sponsor, Cascade PBS