Living on the Wild Side

So, I went out to the compost bin to deposit the banana peels, coffee grounds, and vegetable peelings from the day’s meals — our first since returning from a two-week vacation. And what did I find? An army of volunteers. No, not soldiers, but tomato and zucchini plants. Did seeds escape the compost bin, or did birds deposit them after partaking of a banquet in the garden? Now, these weren’t little seedlings. While I was away, the plants grew. And grew, until they covered that entire corner of the backyard surrounding the compost bin. Last year, I brought in two small volunteer plants, and ended up enjoying those

delicious cherry tomatoes until March. This year, that probably won’t be an option since the plants — despite this summer’s serious lack of rain, and virtually no sunshine in that corner of the yard — are enormous.