When I garden I'm always discovering something new.

This week I discovered grape tomatoes that rotted outside last year survived the winter despite below 0 temps and hundreds of seedlings popped up and were small compared to indoor grown plants.

That each maple seedling that pops up has a unique leaf pattern along the edges.

I found plants I thought were dead very much alive in pots.

That the weeds in the garden actually were from all the bird seed I put out!

I found a cherry seedling with ruby red leaves instead of the usual green.

Sounds like you're having a blast!

Hey, Keith, I completely agree that it's an adventure. I usually feel it's what keeps me sane, in this world, also, the amazing wonder of all the surprises among the familiar in a garden.

Every morning (especially now, in the springtime) there is something new to discover. I feel totally blessed!

Gardening is like an adventure, a jungle adventure for me the past few years. Armadillos, Opossums, and Raccoons are teaching me new things everyday. Like how some plants can survive being dug up and replanted several times, that having earthworms in the garden also has a downside, that soft friable garden soil is a perfect place for all sorts of critters to dig and that no matter how many zinnias I plant I need to plan on replanting them over again.

Yeah, well, there is that. *predators*

At least zinnias are easy to grow!

Only when they can stay in the ground!

Container gardening? :D

I find I do put things in containers that I am not sure of being able to protect in the ground. Lettuce does really well for me in pots, but I'm skeered to put it right in the ground, because I think the slugs would find it easier.

Here's part of my recent adventure:

I dug this slab of rock up when I was preparing a bed for tomato starts. Now it's part of my patchwork border! (The bow rake head is too old to be repaired and belonged to my uncle.):


Ginger I thought surely had completely perished after the latest sudden plunge to single digit temps has returned!


And I am acquiring a great crew of garden helpers!


:D

Speaking of garden helpers, today in the garden I was shocked to see a large two inch long green caterpillar, being drug across the ground by a long narrow bodied wasp, not as long as the caterpillar. He seemed to have drug it out in the open sun so I could see what he had done, then he flew off. Maybe to let the caterpillar decay, maybe to go get help?

Maybe to reach a better take-off pad?

Seedfork said:Speaking of garden helpers, today in the garden I was shocked to see a large two inch long green caterpillar, being drug across the ground by a long narrow bodied wasp, not as long as the caterpillar. He seemed to have drug it out in the open sun so I could see what he had done, then he flew off. Maybe to let the caterpillar decay, maybe to go get help?

They usually paralyze them then drag the caterpillar underground and lay eggs in it, baby wasps hatch and eat it, while still alive!

Maybe to make the caterpillar a host for a wasp egg?

I wondered about the caterpillar not moving, maybe he was paralyzed, I would like to have lots of these wasps.

I discovered a Clematis can grow a few inches a day, a bush took for dead we transplanted grew leafs and got taller over a weekend, a tree getting
ready to bloom was in bloom the next day!!! Also my sunflower seedlings I transplanted that I started in March were all curly and laying down are
now upright and growing fast! I also discovered on a very windy day you get "helicopters" from everyones Maple trees all over everything! yuk.
LOL, I also discovered the squirrel turned his nose up at a peanut butter sandwich, he was holding out for his usual peanuts. I am most amazed
at how fast plants can grow, might be the rain, we have had 4 days of it.

Seedfork said:Gardening is like an adventure, a jungle adventure for me the past few years. Armadillos, Opossums, and Raccoons are teaching me new things everyday. Like how some plants can survive being dug up and replanted several times, that having earthworms in the garden also has a downside, that soft friable garden soil is a perfect place for all sorts of critters to dig and that no matter how many zinnias I plant I need to plan on replanting them over again.

Next door we see a ground hog in the neighbor`s yard, it was eating dandelions. We saw it last spring too. Today about 3 blocks from
home I had to stop the car as a ground hog was crossing, then it just stood there in front of the car, I waited, did not want to blast my
horn at it, then it sauntered off. Anyway I THINK they stay out of our yard because of the dogs.....but I could be wrong. Wow, you sure do have the critters, granny Clampet would be busy w/ them vittles for sure.

Seedfork said:Only when they can stay in the ground!