I think the first tomatoes from the garden are the best tomatoes.  It’s like a preview of what’s to come & judging by our first harvest, there will be a lot of tomatoes this year!

This table has been at my parents’ house for years.

They’ve unsuccessfully tried to sell it every year in their yard sale.  It used to be in pristine condition so I have no idea why it didn’t sell.  It’s totally Instagram & Pinterest worthy!  As a matter of fact. when I spotted the same table on Megan Miller’s Instagram feed, I knew I had to write about it!

Here are pictures & the story of my 2018 sunflowers!

I honestly didn’t have high hopes for these sunflowers.

Last year, our neighbors gave us a few sunflower plants & they disappeared in our front garden!  I don’t know what happened to them!  Maybe some wildlife ate them?  Who knows…

My newest favorite thing to do on Pinterest is to look for paint color schemes.

The Accidental Tomato Patch: A Lesson in Volunteer Plants

Last year, we were surprised by an unplanned pumpkin patch. This year, nature decided to gift us again, but with tomatoes! These unplanned plants are known as "volunteer plants," which grow from accidentally dropped or composted seeds. They're a delightful surprise and taught us to expect the unexpected in gardening.

The Sunflowers Were Just the Beginning

We repurposed the soil from our old raised beds into a makeshift flower bed, sprinkling sunflower seeds. Not only did the sunflowers flourish (stay tuned for that post!), but as James and I admired their beauty one evening, we spotted some unexpected greenery.

The Underdog Tomatoes: Volunteer Plants in Action

Initially, these mystery plants looked like marigolds, remnants from last year's planting. But they soon revealed their true identity—tomatoes! The fascinating thing about volunteer plants is that they often adapt better to your garden conditions, which might explain why these accidental tomatoes outperform the ones we intentionally planted. We're guessing they're cherry tomatoes, but they're keeping us guessing.

Embracing Nature's Surprises

These volunteer tomatoes are thriving so well that we even rigged up a makeshift trellis to support their ambitions. It's a testament to the resilience and surprises that nature offers. So, it looks like we're destined for a tomato harvest one way or another this year.

Final Thoughts

Volunteer plants like these tomatoes remind us that sometimes, the best things in life are unplanned and that nature has its own ideas about what our garden should be.

For more photos of our surprise tomato adventure, visit my Facebook page!

There are some wild blackberries growing near our house & they’re so pretty!

Well…an attempt was made.

That’s the best I can say about the 2018 so far.

Don’t let the pictures fool you:  the garden is a disaster this year!  Sure, there are tons of little tomatoes & peppers, but it’s nowhere near its full potential.  It’s so disappointing to see these weird plants with little or no vines on them!