Thread: My garden surprise!

Between our miserably cool, wet early summer, followed by a dry, hot late summer AND my having a blood clot in my leg that required me to wear a full leg compression hose 24/7 (and it's hot!), my garden efforts this summer were a total flop. But when I did get it planted in early May, I cleared out my saved seeds in the refrigerator. This included some that were pretty old--so I just threw them onto the pile next to my compost bin--the pile where I toss the stuff too junky for the compost bin--figure if they grew, yea! If not, who cares?

Well, about 5 weeks ago a vine started, and since I tossed mostly pumpkin & winter squash, I figure that is what is growing. Some tiny fruit set and I figured pumpkin. But no! I've got cantalopes! I can't remember last year I bought cantaloupe seeds so totally surprised. Now hope it has time to ripen before the weather gets too cold at night here.

How fun! Enjoy!!! We can't grow anything here right now. What we would pay in water would greatly exceed anything I could get at the farmer's market.

So fun! One year I threw the ornamental gourds into my compost bin. I magine my surprise when a vine grew out of the bin in the spring?

I also got a volunteer cantaloupe vine in the middle of my garden from seeds that survived my compost bin! I have two lovely cantaloupe growing now. I also compost with worms and where ever I spread the worm castings I get volunteer tomato plants! I always get a kick out of seeing tomato plants sprouting in my flower pots.

We're forecasted to have freezing weather tonight so I've just come in from picking all the green tomatoes to make green tomato salsa. There are a few that will be great for fried green tomatoes. I have to go back out and pick the swiss chard and do something with it.

Love the 'Free' things ----God's gift for tending the Earth.

Use some coat hanger (wire ones), to make an arch over the cantaloupes. Then tie down clear heavy plastic to make a mini green house. You need to uncover during the day (I have had to do this with my tomatoes and egg plants this year), then recover at night. This will keep your cantaloupes warm and give them the time they need. Good luck

How neat! What a great surprise - I really hope you get to enjoy the fruit.

There's nothing like a wonderful surprised, when it comes to garden, just welcome everything there is! Enjoy, enjoy! Thanks for sharing !