Carlo and the Pumpkin Patch

Carlo and the Pumpkin Patch

How one little pumpkin seed grew into something so much bigger

Immediately after installing a garden for someone in their yard, we invite them to plant seeds with us. Then we ask them to sign our seed pledge committing to watering them daily so they can begin the process of developing a conscious relationship with the seeds. Planting a seed, after all, is an act of faith …and faith is the evidence of things not seen and the substance of things hoped for.

We do the same exercise with our elementary school garden club students. Last May, 5-year-old Carlo planted a pumpkin seed at his Elementary Garden Club and took the seed home to nurture it. He did a great job and it sprouted, but he didn’t have a yard to plant it at home. So he came to Garden Club with his mother asking if there was somewhere he could plant his pumpkin seed in the school garden. He flipped the script on us asking if we’d be willing take care of it over the summer so his pumpkin could go strong like him.

“You got it, Carlo,” I said.

The task required that I show up every four days to hand water it because we planted the pumpkin in a section without timed irrigation.

When Carlo returned to school in August he was amazed to find that his single seed had grown into a sprawling pumpkin patch. He was wide-eyed and amazed as he walked around the patch counting a total of 5 real pumpkins.

Carlo and the pumpkin patch at his School Garden - Good Neighbor Gardens

When his class came to their first garden lesson during the school day, we gave him the opportunity to stand up front, next to his patch, and share his story with his classmates. They were full of praise for him.

He felt so accomplished and loved that he said, “At the end of class today I will choose 2 people who are the best garden students and I will harvest and share my pumpkins with them.”

And so it goes … nature is generous, and it’s our nature to be as well. Giving from abundance is a choice and we are so delighted that we collaborated with Carlo so he could become gracious!