You can break gardening into two main categories. First, there are novice gardeners, you know, people who enjoy growing flowers and food to eat.

Second, there are professionals, including coops that mass produce fruits and vegetables.

But now, we need to add a third category.

This one is for children who decide to garden during the pandemic. Well, as you’re about to learn, a nine-year-old girl did just that and with unexpected results.

How it started

Her name is Kyra Sutton and she lives with her family in Columbus County, North Carolina.

There, she’s a third-grader who attends Acme-Delco Elementary School. This school started a unique gardening program called the “Third Grade Cabbage Program.”

Her little plant

Ms. Linda Parker, the third-grade teacher, gave 38 students a four- to six-inch cabbage plant. Kyra was among them.

Then, they were all provided with instructions as to how to properly care for them as they grow.

Kyra was excited

Although all the kids loved the idea of growing cabbage, Kyra was serious about her role as a gardener.

Behind the house of her great-grandparents, Marie Faulk-Moore and James Moore, Sr., she found a perfect spot. So, she was eager to get started.

Planting the cabbage

With a shovel in her hand, Kyra carefully placed her plant in the ground.

Then every day, just as she was instructed to do, she nurtured it.

Now, her plant would have friends with the other things her family grows, including squash, watermelon, corn, zucchini, mustard greens, and collards.

Dealing with the pandemic

With so many people isolated, this project gave Kyra something special to do. Even when they had to suspend it due to school closures, she decided to keep going.

While she admitted she didn’t know anything about gardening, she was eager to learn.

And with sandy soil and a lot of watering, something was about to happen that no one could’ve predicted.

It started to grow … a lot

What started out as a tiny four-inch plant was now a massive cabbage. This thing was huge.

Yes, Kyra did everything right but she also gave credit for its incredible growth to her great-grandparents and her mom, Angie.

Showtime

Reaching a whopping 31 pounds, Kyra and her cabbage made the local news.

But before long, the story had become headlines across the country and on social media.

Kyra and her cabbage were even featured in a popular women’s magazine.

So proud

Not only was Kyra proud of what she did but a lot of other people … including Oprah Winfrey … were proud of her, too.

Come to find out, Oprah is quite the gardener herself. So, standing behind a large brussels sprout plant she’d grown, she gave a shoutout to Kyra, telling her, “You win!”

Being interviewed by a star

You see, Kelly Clarkson had heard about Kyra’s massive cabbage so she had this girl and her mom on her show via prompter.

That’s when Oprah comes on to talk directly to this third-grader. She also said,

“When you do what you love, love follows you … keep doing what you love.”

An inspirational tale

To think that something as simple as a cabbage plant could prove to be so inspirational is mind-blowing.

But what happened is that Kyra proved to herself and other kids that with determination, hard work, and support, success is possible. What a great story.

A year has passed since all this happened. When asked if she plans to grow any other massive plants, Kyra isn’t sure.

But the one thing she does know is that she loves to garden.

To see the interview with Kelly Clarkson, click on the video below!

Please SHARE this with your friends and family.

Source: The Kelly Clarkson Show, WWAY3, Facebook

Share on Facebook

Share this article

By Cedric Jackson

[email protected]

Cedric Jackson is a contributor at SBLY Media.