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    Home » Gardening

    Volunteers (Weekend Gardening)

    Aug 28, 2010 · Modified: Jun 19, 2021 by Andrea · This post may contain affiliate links · This blog generates income via ads · 4 Comments

    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.

    Volunteer cantaloupe - Andrea Meyers

    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.

    Volunteer cantaloupes - Andrea Meyers

    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.

    Volunteer tomatillos - Andrea Meyers

    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.

    Volunteer butternut squash - Andrea Meyers

    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.

    More Weekend Gardening

    Royal Black hot pepper - Andrea Meyers
    Peppers in Our Garden (Weekend Gardening)
    Young fig tree - Andrea Meyers
    Planting Trees and Bushes (Weekend Gardening)
    Husky cherry tomatoes, green - Andrea Meyers
    Tomato Garden Updates (Weekend Gardening)
    « Baba Ghannouj (Baba Ganoush)
    An Afternoon in Seattle: Pike Place Market »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Kalynskitchen says

      August 28, 2010 at 9:52 am

      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!

      Reply
    2. SharleneT says

      August 28, 2010 at 11:34 am

      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...

      Reply
    3. Andrea says

      August 28, 2010 at 7:24 pm

      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!

      Reply
    4. Sasha says

      August 28, 2010 at 8:56 pm

      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.

      Reply

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