The Spark that Grew into a Garden Book

Every big dream starts with a tiny spark. Mine began in a barn on an autumn afternoon, with musty dust shimmering in the light, laughter shaking the old timbers, and a broom in my hand that I wasn’t really using.

Dust swirled around the bristles of the stiff broom as I distractedly swept the rough barn floor. For several years, I’d had a little spark in my heart for a gardening book, something I’d thought about doing for my senior project, but on this particular morning, that spark was smoldering like coals left overnight.

My friends, Josh and Anna and I had been helping at my Aunt Hannah’s fall gardening class, and now we were cleaning up after everyone had gone. Class had been pretty normal: the usual questions, friendly chatter, coffee breaks. But then I overheard one of the students say, “I wish more things in the garden could be explained with pictures.” That simple comment was like tossing gasoline on glowing coals, and suddenly, I was on fire with ideas.

Josh and Anna noticed my excitement, but with a finger to my lips and a nod toward my aunt (who was probably wondering what had gotten into her assistant), I kept my secret until the last student walked out the door. Then I couldn’t hold it in any longer. “I know what my senior project will be!” I blurted out, dancing around the room as I began telling them about my idea for a full-color gardening book. My aunt smiled, Anna said, “That will help so many people,” and Josh grinned and said, “Let me know if I can help.”

Six months later, after countless hours of reading, interviewing, writing, and planning, I finally printed off my first messy draft. Some family friends asked me to manage their garden for them and kindly let me use their garden for photos. Josh helped me with tons of photography and spent hours editing photos. On October 10th, 2025, the book was officially done. Nearly a year after that first spark, what began as a simple step-by-step guide had grown into a 240-page, full-color gardening book with over 17,000 words, 300 photos, essays, tutorials, and 32 vegetable charts. My senior project has now bloomed into something much bigger-a website, and a YouTube channel, and hopefully, a growing community of inspired gardeners.

Inspiration rarely strikes in a quiet, carefully planned moment—it sneaks in when your hands are busy and your mind drifts somewhere else. Looking back, I never could’ve guessed that a passing comment in that barn would grow into something so full of life and purpose.

If there had to be just one thing gardening—and dreaming—has taught me: the biggest things often begin as a tiny seed or a small spark.

-Susan Wiley