Garden Like

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to grow something bigger than yourself? Literally?!

On this week’s episode of Garden Like, Kelsey nerds out with competitive giant pumpkin grower Amy Turnbull. Amy has been involved with the Pacific Northwest Giant Pumpkin Growers for years and grows giant pumpkins organically on a tiny urban plot: less than 500 square feet (~46 square meters), compared to the typical 1,000 to 2,000 (~90-185 square meters). She guides us through the rewarding journey of growing a giant pumpkin, from soil biology and seed genetics to what to do if a pumpkin cracks!

In this episode:
Soil: Amy recommends starting here, with a plan for your pumpkin’s soil before you plant. She sprays organic biofungicides regularly for disease, feeds the soil with biofertilizers, earthworms, and kelp meal, plants cover crops in the off-season, and takes regular soil tests.
Seedlings: Amy starts her seeds indoors in small pots around the first or second week of April. When the soil warms up, she moves them outside into their own hoop house (how to build).
Pollination & genetics: Pumpkins have separate male and female flowers, and a female flower has to be pollinated to grow a pumpkin. Amy hand-pollinates to increase her chances of success. And with genetics, there’s always a chance your pumpkin could look different from the pumpkin it came from.
Community: 7 strangers from Amy’s neighborhood helped her and her family move their beloved “Sourdough Loaf” to the truck for the weigh-off. Amy says one of the hardest parts of growing a giant pumpkin can be feeling alone, and she recommends several groups and grower communities for support (links below).
Find Amy:
Instagram
TikTok
Resources:
Pacific Northwest Giant Pumpkin Growers
The Great Pumpkin Commonwealth (GPC)
How-to-Grow World Class Giant Pumpkins, Book III, by Don Langevin
Backyard Giant Pumpkin Growers Facebook group
Garden of Giants Facebook group
BigPumpkins.com grower diaries
New England Giant Pumpkin Growers Association
Master Gardener programs
Follow Garden Like:
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YouTube
Have an idea for a “Garden Like” episode? Email kelsey@gardenlikepod.com.

This episode was hosted by Kelsey Segaloff, produced by Deanna Healey, and edited by Guido Bertolini.

What if you could tell a story with plants? 
In the first episode of Garden Like, we’re heading to EPCOT’s World Showcase to look at the gardens hiding in plain sight. 
From the carefully controlled landscapes of the United Kingdom pavilion to the way plants make you feel like you’re traveling north through Canada, these gardens feel so different for a reason. 
We’ll look at how Disney uses horticulture, landscape design, color, texture, and even plant maintenance to tell each pavilion's story using the 5 P's. 
More importantly, we’ll talk about what we can borrow from those techniques for our own gardens. Welcome to Garden Like.
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Sources
Dee Hansford, Gardens of the Walt Disney World Resort (1988)
R. A. Pedersen, The Epcot Explorer's Encyclopedia (2011)
Margaret J. King, "The New American Muse," Journal of Popular Culture (1981): https://doi.org/10.1111/j.0022-3840.1981.00056.x
Diane Scheu, "The Role of Horticulture in Theme Parks," University of Delaware thesis (1996): http://udspace.udel.edu/handle/19716/3722
Katy Moss Warner on the FNGLA Plant People Podcast (Oct. 2022): https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fngla-plant-people-podcast/id1633905377
Walt Disney's 1966 EPCOT film, via FOX 35 Orlando: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXoMsfAyhac
Jim Korkis, "John Hench and Walt Disney World Color," yourfirstvisit.net: https://yourfirstvisit.net/2019/08/02/a-friday-visit-with-jim-korkis-john-hench-and-walt-disney-world-color/
AllEars, "Pounding the Pavement at Walt Disney World": https://allears.net/2012/01/09/pounding-the-pavement-at-walt-disney-world/
WDW News Today, "Damaged EPCOT Palm Trees Removed": https://wdwnt.com/2026/05/damaged-epcot-palm-trees-removed-from-park-entrance/
Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, "Creation of the Cottage Garden": https://www.shakespeare.org.uk/explore-shakespeare/shakespedia/anne-hathaways-cottage/creation-cottage-garden/
Interviews with current and former horticulture cast members

Garden Like is not your traditional garden podcast. Rather than finding inspiration from backyard gardens, Garden Like explores how worlds (both real and imagined) can apply to indoor and outdoor gardens. In season 1, we'll hear from a giant pumpkin farmer, a goth-garden expert, a horticulturist on gardens from 1899, and more.

Subscribe now to ensure you don't miss our first episode, arriving October 1st.

Garden Like, hosted by Kelsey Segaloff of Sprouts and Stories, finds gardening inspiration in unexpected places through conversations with horticulturists, historians, designers, growers, and other experts, plus solo deep dives.

Join us for Season 1 as we learn to Garden Like worlds both real and imagined.

Produced by Deanna Healey.