This year the biggest surprise in our garden was the volunteers, which is much better than the bunny surprise we got last year. Apparently some of our compost didn’t cook long enough because we have volunteers aplenty.
The volunteer cantaloupe vine is winding its way around the rhubarb, horseradish, cherry trees, lavender, and thyme. We got our first fruit this week, and it was perfectly sweet and delicious.
There are currently five more fruits on the vine so far. I’d say this was a very fortunate volunteer and I’m not sure I could get results this good if I’d tried to plant them. In fact I said in the spring we probably couldn’t grow them due to the problems we have with certain pests. I’m so glad to be proven wrong on this one.
Some tomatillos are climbing the side of the house next to the chili pepper patch. And yes, there are some little tomatillos on them, along with the hoards starting on the four plants on the other side of the house.
Though I adore cantaloupe, this has to be my favorite volunteer this year, a monstrous butternut squash vine that started next to the compost bin and is spreading and growing in the grass right in front of the tomato bed. It’s about 10 feet long now and has huge blossoms and several squash growing on it. Though the squash vine borers made a determined attack, this plant seems to scoff at their attacks. It’s amazing. And like the cantaloupe, I probably couldn’t have grown it if I tried.
I love volunteers, although this year my volunteer "dill" turned out to be fennel, not nearly as useful! I'd love some volunteer butternut squash!
I love volunteers! Last year, I had grape tomatoes that almost took over my fence just above the compost! It was wonderful and they made alot of sauces for the winter... this year, I seem to have more foliage than veggies on the plants... ah, the life of a gardener... always these surprises... thanks for sharing...
Kalyn, we have a bunch of dill that sprouted up in the herb and squash beds after it all went to seed. I like seeing all the little feathery leaves popping up.
Sharlene, volunteer tomatoes are always welcome!
This is my first visit, and I just thought that I'd say how lovely your site. It's only my first year gardening, but I'm hoping my butternut squash plants will be as vigorous as yours are and looking forward to volunteers next year.