Volunteers You Can Count On

[heirloomgal]

Last year I allowed Green Wave mustard greens to go to seed, and now I am finding the occasional beautiful volunteer in the garden. This one has such a striking form with swirly ruffled leaves. It's almost too pretty to eat!

I agree. This definitely falls into the category of decorative vegetable. Beautiful shiny, frilly leaves.

 

[Branching Out]

Volunteers are especially welcome in the autumn when there's not much else going on in the garden. I found these squash and brassicas the other day.

 

[Dahlia]

I

Volunteers are especially welcome in the autumn when there's not much else going on in the garden. I found these squash and brassicas the other day.

I love when that happens!

 

[ducks4you]

I welcome ANY vegetable that freely reseeds and tries to repopulate the world in My garden!
They choke out weeds and many are edible raw.
As I said in My garden(s) it is turnips.

 

[Branching Out]

Now I have massive endive or radicchio plants in the garden. I suppose this is one of the bonuses that comes with not worrying too much about 'weeds!'

 

[Branching Out]

Today I found a volunteer Golden Flax in the garden, and it looks to be thriving. The long term forecast has us well above freezing for the next two weeks. Maybe the plant will have time to bloom!

I'm finding Silene Sibella Carmine here and there as well. This annual flower must have a high degree of cold tolerance. In the past I have sowed the seed for silene in April, but I'm kind of wondering if it would be better to start it in June and then plant it out as a flowering late summer ground cover. https://www.swallowtailgardenseeds.com/annuals/silene/sibella-carmine-silene-seeds.html

 

[fuzzi]

Last year (2023) compost added to a raised bed resulted in volunteer watermelons!