Volunteer plants

This year’s garden has been ripe with numerous volunteers. This sunflower is one of five that have sprouted as a result of our winter bird feeders. What luck! Sadly one was chomped up by the foraging deer, those stinkers, don’t they know the sunflowers are for the bees?

 I usually plant sunflowers on purpose in my vegetable patch to attract bees. I was disappointed to see my seed stash was empty but greatly surprised to see the sunflowers. And then there are the 10+ tomatoes that have popped up all over. We are baffled by this as there is a variety in the cultivars. 

Many are the cherry type but there is a yellow pear, Roma and a few are middle sized fruits. We think it’s possibly the compost? But I suppose it can be cast offs from our children tossing leftover bits into the garden. Either way I am pleased to have the surprising blessings of more tomatoes. The birds are fond of them and I have been chasing the Cardinals out of the garden, although, I can identify with their love of the tomato! This year’s volunteer organic garden has been full of fascination.