Seedfolks has an ensemble cast of thirteen, collectively the gardeners of the plot. Each character has his or her own chapter describing the character's backstory and what has brought them to the garden. In most cases, there is a connection established between the character's backstory and the plant they bring to the garden. 

Kim plants lima beans in the garden. Ana states that she is too old to participate in the gardening ritual any more and does not plant anything, although she forges relationships with the other characters. Gonzalo, similarly, does not plant anything of his own but provides assistance to his uncle in gardening. Florence suffers from arthritis and therefore is also unable to plant anything, but she supervises the other gardeners. Wendell does plant something, or so we can infer from the text, but the book does not tell us what it is.

Leona plants golden rod; Sam, pumpkins; Virgil, lettuce; Sae Young, hot peppers. Curtis plants tomatoes, while Nora, something of a dreamer, plants less practical things: hollyhocks, poppies, and snapdragons.

Marcila plants radish and swiss chard, and Amir plants eggplant.  

A simple list of each gardener's plant of choice, however, does not really tell us much about the story. Consider the connections drawn between the gardeners and their plants—why do they each choose what they do? Sae Young, for example, plants something that reminds her of her home in Korea. Amir plants eggplant, a common feature in food from his native India, and becomes famous for it. Yes, each gardener has his or her own contribution to make, but what is really important is the connection between the plants and their stories—and the connections the garden allows them to build with each other.