Nature’s surprises

One thing about keeping close to home during the pandemic is I’ve become keenly aware of things that might have gone unnoticed during other years. Earlier this year, I discovered a few volunteer redbud trees growing in and around some other plants. Redbuds are my all-time favorite flowering tree in the spring so I carefully dug them up and replanted them in hopes of transplanting later in the year.

Two grew well in a pot all summer and are now in their new homes where I hope they survive the winter. It won’t be for lack of effort.

In addition to the gorgeous garden spiders, blue-tail skinks and toads in all sizes, this mystery plant appeared. Never having seen it before, I let it go just to see what would happen.

Turns out, it’s called an American Burnweed or Fireweed. Not an especially attractive plant, I read it may be one that is first to appear on the forest floor after a fire. Maybe we could ship a bunch to California. It will not be staying even though it’s successfully blooming where it’s planted.

The oddest observation was when I looked down while pulling weeds and swore a couple “weeds” looked like tomato plants. Not having planted tomatoes in this particular area I couldn’t explain why they were there.

Come to find out our neighbor, who planted cherry tomatoes, witnessed squirrels running across her deck with their mouths full of the little fruits earlier this summer. Evidently, these little thieves picnicked under one of our cedar trees and deposited seeds into the ground. And now, we have cherry tomatoes growing in mid-October. Not sure what will get them first—the squirrels or our first hard freeze when I forget to cover them.

There are so many little surprises in nature if we just take time to notice. Linking up with Sandee at Comedy Plus for Happy Tuesday because it makes me smile when I discover these unexpected gifts.