Gardening can be difficult sometimes, but one mom's effort to start a pumpkin patch was much more successful than anticipated.
In a shocking TikTok, Nicole (@sketti007) shows off her backyard and her attempt to fill it with pumpkins for the Halloween season.
"When you decide to plant pumpkins to create fun memories with the kids, but you notoriously have a black thumb so you plant a few extra just to be safe … " Nicole wrote in a caption.
@sketti007 Just gearing up for Spooky Season! #halloween2023 #pumpkins #parentadvice #plants #gardenproject #boymom #ohno ♬ Oh No - Kreepa
As the video progresses, multiple pictures show the pumpkin plants growing out of the small garden area and taking over a huge section of their yard.
In a follow-up video, Nicole showed footage of what appears to be dozens of small pumpkins that should grow larger and more plentiful as the season progresses.
"Leaves are falling and pumpkins are turning orange!" Nicole wrote in the follow-up caption. "We're getting close. Fun fact: Some people say that when they are ready to be harvested, you won't be able to make a mark with your fingernails."
Maintaining gardens of any size can positively affect gardeners and their local environments. According to the National Institute of Health, gardening can provide health benefits via valuable sunlight exposure, exercise, nutrition from the produce grown, and boosts to mood and mental health.
Additionally, gardens can improve soil health by reducing erosion and increasing nutrients, purifying air quality by absorbing carbon dioxide, and attracting pollinators to your local ecosystem, according to GreenMatters.
If that's not enough, gardening can save you money on groceries by reducing your spending on produce.
Users reflected on their own pumpkin gardening experiences in the comment section.
"Did this 5 years ago. We ended up with 47 huge pumpkins one year and no backyard. Don't do this," one user wrote.
Another added, "I planted four seeds on the side of my yard and it's already absolute madness!!"
"Careful — it starts with pumpkins, the two years later you're full on homesteading," one user joked.
"Cut the vines, you'll get more pumpkins. The more leaves and vines there are the less it produces," a fourth user commented.
Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more, waste less, and help yourself while helping the planet.
Cool Picks
