I don’t have much of a gardening history. I didn’t grow up gardening. And now that I am an enthusiastic–if not entirely competent–gardener, I am pleasantly surprised at just how entertaining gardening can be. Things just don’t always turn out like you expect, and that is fun. All right, I admit that I am easily entertained. But you just have to smile at my sunflowers, don’t you?

How did these sunflowers get so tall?

A friend gave me some sunflower seeds, and I planted them around the peach tree, thinking that they would pollinate the squash plants below. I got back from vacation and they had grown about 4 feet in 3 weeks, and haven’t stopped yet. My second-grade neighbor asked me if I had planted magic seeds. I don’t know what kind of sunflowers they are….a local bank give-a-way, not much label info. One problem….no flowers. A bit of yellow FINALLY appeared on August 28, and now on September 3 I have two flowers, with a third one about to bloom. Truly, they look ridiculous, but they are entertaining. How did they get so tall? Will they every bloom? Are those bees just too far away to pollinate the squash? And what about those magic seeds?

I have had fun with the nasturtiums, too. I’ve made a lot of green salads this summer, with nasturtiums included (yes, they are edible and tasty), and everyone always comments on how pretty the salads are. Easy, pretty, simple to grow, and they are good at filling in gaps in the garden. Why is this the first year I have grown them? Cheap entertainment.

Front-yard blueberries

And what could be more fun than walking out the front door to pick blueberries for your breakfast cereal?