June 2021 Seed Stories Series
April 2021 Seed Stories
Meet The Ever Hopeful Gardener, Amanda Nadeau, from Charlotte, North Carolina
pumpkin seeds @theeverhopefulgardener
Welcome, Amanda! I am so excited to have you here sharing your seed story with everyone. What seed journey did you pick to share today?
Yes, a mystery pumpkin seed story!
I love this. Please share with us why you chose a pumpkin.
My seed story is actually a story of the seed choosing me. A mystery volunteer plant showed up in my garden last spring, and became my most favorite thing I have ever grown.
I am a huge fan of volunteer plants. Where do you think your pumpkin seed came from?
The origin of this seed is mostly a mystery. I assume that it came from a store-bought pumpkin that we had set out in the woods after Thanksgiving for the wildlife. A squirrel must have buried the seed in one of my raised beds.
Tell us a little about yourself and why you feel called to share your seed story with everyone today!
I am an ever hopeful gardener who after the experience of letting my mystery seed grow, has developed a more wild and free attitude towards gardening.
This is so beautifully said, Amanda. I can tell this is a special moment you are about to share with all of us. The garden has certainly helped me grow and change and taught me so much.
Will you share more about your seed journey? Bring us through the cultivation of this seed and what lengths you went through to care for your mystery plant and how you helped it grow?
When this mystery plant popped up in my tomato bed, I almost yanked it out. Instead, I decided to see what would happen if I let it grow. Little did I know that it would soon take over two of my raised beds and wrap itself three times around my large tomato trellis.
Oh wow, what a vigorous vine! That is an incredible amount of growth. What challenges did you face along the way?
The large pumpkin actually formed hanging in the air from the tomato trellis which presented quite the challenge. I had to build it a wooden support stand to make sure it didn't snap off the vine. (My husband may have thought I was crazy at the time!) The pumpkin grew much larger than I thought possible and was lovingly named Big Boy by my family. I made sure to save seeds from Big Boy to plant the following year. I have shared Big Boy's seeds with other gardeners; loving the idea that Big Boy's legacy will live on in other gardens around the country. I currently have 3 of Big Boy's offspring growing in my yard.
The full picture! This is a very special squash @theeverhopefulgardener
I absolutely love that you made this pumpkin custom support and your family named him Big Boy. Talk about red carpet treatment. I tend to name my plants as well, but this name definitely suits your giant squash! How fun is this. You are an incredible gardener. To be able to save and share Big Boy’s seeds with loved ones and friends carrying on his legacy is truly special. I love this so much. It would be so fun to hear from the other seed parents and keep Big Boy’s seed story going.
You expressed earlier that this mystery seed changed you a little to be more “wild and free” as a gardener. We would all love to hear more about your journey as a gardener.
This mystery seed inspired me to try growing things I may not have thought to try before. It pushed me outside of my usual tomato/pepper/lettuce growing comfort zone. This season I am trying soybeans, jicama, luffa, corn, and tomatillos, none of which have I ever grown before. The mystery seed helped me realize that pushing the boundaries as a gardener is where I find the most joy. Seeing what I can get to work and experimenting in my garden is extremely gratifying. I have become less rigid in my gardening expectations; letting Nature make more of the important decisions in my garden.
Big Boy on his custom made wood support by @theeverhopefulgardener
Amanda, it makes me so happy to hear this. Allowing nature to guide you in the garden is key. Your story has encouraged me to push the boundaries in my garden this season, experiment more, and grow something I have never grown before! Thank you so much for sharing your seed story today with everyone!
If you made it to the end of this seed story, thank you for taking the time to read it. Feel free to reach out and let us know what you are going to try to grow for the very first time this year. Amanda and I would love to hear from you.
Contact Amanda
About The Ever Hopeful Gardener
Bio & Photo credits: www.everyhopefulgardener.com
I am an avid (that's an understatement) gardener in Charlotte, North Carolina. I get really, really excited about gardening! I spend my days (and nights) in my garden and looking for my next DIY project.
I love baking and sourdough is my passion. Give me all the sourdough recipes! Yoga is another favorite pastime, and I am still trying to figure out how to incorporate plants into a yoga practice...
I love learning new things in the garden and love sharing that knowledge even more. I created this site to be able to connect and share garden love.
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