Narrator (unknown)
She is the main character of the novel. She doesn't have a love for the stereotypical feminine things, such as earrings or clothes. Instead, she has a passion tending to her garden and growing her fruits and vegetables. To her, it is an art and a story to be a part of horticulture rather than a laborious job.
Chet
The narrator's first neighbor. He has a chronic illness that requires him to carry around canisters of oxygen every day, however, the narrator learns her love for precision and growing vegetables from him. Every day he leaves the house without his canister just to tend to his tomatoes, and that motivates her to pursue even more with her garden. However, Chet passes away.
Millie
She is Chet's wife. The narrator feels that she left things off rather awkwardly with Chet, and therefore feels an awkwardness towards his wife. Millie lives down the road from the narrator but rarely says anything.
Mrs. McGovern
She is the owner of the house that the Narrator moves into after Chet dies. The narrator feels some spite towards McGovern since the shape of her lawn and yard was ridiculous and not enough to grow a nice, fresh garden, which requires a lot of money to be spent. However the narrator is told that there is a peony garden, and that's when the narrator starts growing flowers.
Beth Winter
Beth Winter is the narrator's new neighbor. She is a more peppy character to the novel, a change from the narrator's hard work and sacrifice to create a flourishing garden. Beth is always talking about family and childhood, which forces the narrator to reflect on her upbringing and her children as well.
