03/23/2026
I saw a post on Reddit, this lady had found an old pepper tin in a roll top desk she was restoring. Inside that pepper tin, was a man’s watermelon seeds from 1870. Naturally, I had to get in contact and take my shot at reviving this old watermelon. Nobody knows what it is for sure. Every attempt at growing these was failed, she sent seeds all over the world to people requesting them, and all she asked was that people let her know their results, good or bad, and not one person kept good on their end of the deal. So, initially when I inquired about the seeds, she said no. She just wants to keep what’s left of them.
I sent photos of my watermelon, and reassured her that I would try darnedest to grow them, and that I would keep good on my end. She said maybe. A few days ago, I checked my Reddit inbox, and she said that she went to post office and sent them out. They came today. While the possibility of these growing is very close to zero, there is always that chance. Scientist have sprouted seeds from caves from thousands of years ago. So, I’m going to give it a shot. I received 20 seeds, which means I have 20 tries. This will be a neat project, and extraordinary if one grows.
*Photos are from another page where she went into some detail about the restoration project.
