Don't you just love it when someone steps up and volunteers to help or give their time? In this case I'm not talking about a person, I'm talking about plants. When you take on the task of gardening there are always new things to learn. Here is something I learned only a couple of years ago. Because I plant so many things, I will inevitably have new plants come up the following year that I didn't plant. Why??? There will always be some tomatoes or pumpkins or watermelons, or.....anything that for some reason doesn't get collected or doesn't come to fruition and therefore it decomposes. The seeds from the decomposing fruit or vegetable goes into the ground and oftentimes will replant themselves. It's a wonderful treat in the spring or early summer when I discover something growing on its own. These plants are called "volunteers." This year I had several volunteer tomato plants. I even had a couple of watermelon plants and a basil plant that volunteered to come up. I was thrilled! What is even more amazing is that most of the volunteers are heartier and healthier than the seeds I put into the ground or the plants that I transplant into the garden. It gives a whole new meaning to the phrase, "bloom where you are planted."
Here is a picture of a volunteer tomato plant that decided to come up right off of the front porch. It's HUGE! When I first saw it sprout, I thought about pulling it up because I didn't really want it there. I'm pretty sure a tomato seed was hiding in the compost that I used for planting the azalea bush that is located directly beside the mammoth plant. I decided to let it stay. I wanted to see how big it would get. WOW!......and it's not done growing yet. Meghan, our Great Pyrenees isn't sure she likes it too much. It's beginning to take over the front steps where she likes to sit. Oh well,..... the growing season will come to an end soon enough and she will have her seat back. 😜
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