In praise of volunteers
volunteer arugula
As our week-long rains continue, I find myself standing at the backdoor surveying the weeds from the shelter of my kitchen. As the water puddles continue to grow, I know it will be a while before I’ll be able to dig in the clay soil. One can only hope for a few sunny, windy days after rain like this. Fortunately I was able to get a good portion of the weeds pulled and thrown into three big piles last Saturday. I had been itching to tackle the swath of weeds that I could see living it up from my kitchen window. Just needed a day off from work. Well, it was only half a day before it rained but any time spent pulling weeds certainly helps.
As I started in on the mallows, bentgrasses and anagallis I began to smell a familiar peppery scent. Arugula! In between the tall weeds and comprising a good portion of the patch was arugula volunteers. Since I was a child I’ve always had a love of volunteer plants. They are pleasant little garden surprises waiting to be discovered. As I continued to survey the yard I had been absent from recently, I discovered more volunteers. Currently putting forth their efforts I also have more than a few potatoes, a couple of tomatoes hiding underneath an artichoke plant, a few palms, and a tiny oak tree. Most of course are exactly where they shouldn’t be, but that’s OK. I’ll either move them later or let them enjoy their lives while they can.
Do you love your volunteers or are they just weeds? Let us know in the comments.
I’m all for volunteers, I don’t keep them all I only need a few borage, calendula, poppy plants and definitely no more poplar, birch or willows.
I love the feverfew, euphorbia, scilla and alliums that pop up, and I couldn’t weed out the beautiful, little Japanese maple that just appeared one day. Weeds? no. But, I have started “weeding” out the tiny euonymous sprouts and a few of the perillas though.
I adore volunteers. Larkspur, poppies, feverfew, hollyhock, catnip, and on and on. It is sad to have to thin them… I feel badly for them and try to transplant as many as possible since they were so faithful and kind enough to come up without encouragement… I want Spring NOW!
I LOVE my volunteers! I was recently reading Melanie’s wonderful post about composing…but she did day that you should never put veggie seeds in the compose pile. Good advice in general but when I get a surprise squash I’m overjoyed. I give away all sorts of things to the community garden when I find them popping up somewhere I didn’t plant them.
Hi Kat, how lucky to have good eatin’ volunteers! Yummm! We do love our volunteers here in TN, we are the volunteer state after all. Nigella, violas, and many wildflowers that we are still learning the proper names of are all most welcome. We only have one unwelcome, crabgrass! All others, come on up! :-)
Frances
Melanie-Oh, I agree with you on some things. I’m still digging out evening primrose. But I consider those weeds.
Kari- How lucky to have a volunteer Japanese maple. I have seeds that I need to get into the refrigerator soon for some red Japanese maples.
Catherine- Your empathy for those little plants doesn’t surprise me. No wonders you have such a lovely garden.
Stevie-I’m with you. Even in my compost volunteers are fun.
Frances- Thanks for stopping by. I’m not surprised you welcome the little ones into your garden. I’m sure they are perfectly happy they came.
I have lots of volunteer Money Plant biennials. Pretty heart-shaped leaves and lavender flowers. I only pull them if they are right next to a new addition that needs lots of root room. Rose Campion is not a volunteer here–more of a dominatrix.
I love the volunteers. Here some cosmos, dahlias self sow easily. your blog is very attractive and photos are fantastic.