'I grow giant pumpkins to manage my mental health'

Matt Peskett, who is living with Hodgkin's Lymphoma, says growing giant pumpkins helps him manage stress

A man who is living with Hodgkin's Lymphoma says he grows giant pumpkins to help him manage his mental health.

Matt Peskett, from Dorking, was diagnosed in 2024 and while undergoing immense stress and uncertainty, he found horticultural activities to have physical and emotional benefits to his wellbeing.

The 48-year-old said: "Growing pumpkins is a good mental health distraction from your own brain because it's a project where you can focus your energy and time on.

"I carry on doing the things I love, because I think to myself I might not get another year to grow a big pumpkin."

Mr Peskett's personal best so far is growing a 677-pound (307kg) pumpkin

Mr Peskett has been growing pumpkins since 2015, but after seeing Royal Horticultural Society expert Matthew Oliver's record-breaking pumpkin on display at Hyde Hall, he decided to take on the challenge of growing gourds.

"Whether it's growing pumpkins or any gardening activity, it helps me connect with nature and reduce stress," he said.

He added growing a giant pumpkin requires a lot of "patience, dedication and hard work".

"Whenever I start growing another giant pumpkin, I think about what I need to do the next day to ensure it grows healthily."

"My wife jokes and that the pumpkin is 'the other woman'."

Tully's Farm in West Sussex, Crawley, donated £500 to Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust in exchange for Abdul the 150kg (330 pounds) pumpkin

Since his diagnosis, Mr Peskett has received two rounds of chemotherapy treatment, numerous consultations and appointments.

"I try to be upbeat and live a normal life," he added.

He said growing pumpkins is like a "science project".

"You need pedigree seeds, the right temperature, warm nights, and providing correct food, which includes seaweed and potassium."

His personal best so far is growing a 677-pound pumpkin (307kg) in 2022, which was weighed at the RHS in Hyde Hall.

In 2022, Mr Peskett presented his biggest ever pumpkin at the Dorking pumpkin show, while dressed as Gandalf. The show's theme was Gourd of the Rings

Mr Peskett's most recent pumpkin, which he named Abdul, has found a home at Tully's Farm in Crawley, West Sussex.

He added the farm donated £500 to the cancer fund at Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust in exchange for Abdul.

The trust is where Mr Peskett is receiving care and treatment.

"I named the pumpkin after my haematology doctor, he was really proud when I told him," he said.

Mr Peskett says he "strongly recommends" people to do gardening as a way to help deal with mental health stresses.

"It's relaxing, therapeutic and once you see what you have grown, it gives you a sense of achievement," he explained.

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