Why I love volunteers

[reinbeau]

I put this planter in my neighbor's yard, just over the fence from my garden.  As a matter of fact, there's a cobblestone pathway through the garden next to that fencepost so she can come over, which she does, as she watches our kitties when we go away.  She's a lovely neighbor!  She loves gardens, she just doesn't have the time to devote to it (I think she caught the bug after living next door to me for 29 years!).

Anyhoo, she loved these pink snapdragons I got this spring, so I put a few of them in there, a tall argeretum and that trailing stuff (chiondra or something like that).  But the petunias are volunteers.  They have reseeded themselves in that planter now for about four years, from the purple ones I put in there when I first put the planter over there.  We both love them!

[Cindi]

Ann, beautiful picture.  Petunias are very beautiful and lovely flowers for sure.  You are lucky to have a wonderful neighbour, such as you have.  The ability of plants to reseed still blows my mind.  ONe year I planted a burgundy coloured petunia as part of the colours I offered to my customers.  I never planted burgundy petunias in my gardens, I find that petunias are plain and simply way too much work, with the deadheading that is required for them to look fresh.  I am too lazy in that regard, I go for easy care annuals.  Funny thing that.

Anyways, last year a burgundy petunia popped up down beside where we park our cars.  So....that would mean that this seed, from wherever it came, had gone dormant for about 5 years before the time was perfectly right for it to germinate.  I know it came from my greenhouse so many years ago.  But that is amazing, eh?  Have a wonderful day, great life.  Cindi

[reinbeau]

I love blue or purple petunias, they smell heavenly.  For lovely scent I'll deal with deadheading.  Other than that I agree, petunias are a lot of work!  What I really like about these volunteers are the shades.  You couldn't buy color-coordinated petunias like this if you tried!

[Cindi]

Ann, I agree;  Have a wonderful day.  Cindi.