Well it's not necessarily a "happy" accident but an accident nonetheless. Does that count?

This morning I went weeding (before the unbearable heat set in). I decided to address a rather - uh - LARGE patch of weeds that I have just let go thus far. So I'm pulling and digging and up comes this....thing.

Hmmm...says I - that looks like a potato. Small, but a potato. So I poke and prod, break open, smell (nope - no tasting!) and I am CONVINCED that I grew a potato!

I have NO IDEA where it came from or how it got here but it looked and smelled exactly like those little "new potatoes" at the grocery store.

Go figure

Could have come from something you threw into the compost pile?

Martie,
Your planter sounds beautiful. I am having a real love/hate relationship with Rozanne this year. I planted it for the first time in a prominent spot under some Hydrangeas and it is so bold and vibrant it hasn't stopped screaming at me. Last year Arbo_retum suggested a Hillards Pillar barberry for a spot in the garden which of course was the perfect thing. I recently came home with Phormium tenax 'Pink Stripe' just out of pure plant lust and of course having no idea where I would squeeze it into the garden. The two together are a knock out. There are some pink oriental lilies and coleus near by as well. kt

Ok, where's the picture? We'd love to see your "accident"!

Trying to think of happy accidents, but about all I can come up with are the volunteer datura all over the place and the unexpected survival of a lot of tender salvia.

Oh, wait, does this count? I love the tender coreopsis, the tall yellow ones with the red centers, so I don't pull the seedlings, no matter where they come up. Some appeared in the front of a long border, among the low-growing bell flowers. The happy accident was that they *totally* flopped, and seem to be about 6" tall in a drift about 8' long, although if they were staked they'd be about 4' tall, and completely out of place in the front of the bed. It was an accident, and it makes me very happy, so I guess that counts.

Katy, will the Phormium survive winter outside? I've been really tempted by that one, too, especially since it gets tall - what a great architectural effect. If you were going to protect a plant like that, how would you do it? Would it be best in a large pot, or just in well-drained soil in a protected spot?

Here is a link that might be useful: pink stripe phormium

This is now an annual "happy accident." I used to weed between these bricks alongside my driveway, every spring. I think I even used some Roundup one time. Then, one year, life got incredibly busy, and I saw some buds forming on the "weeds." Now, every summer, I have this riot of Black Eyed Susans alongside the driveway, none of which I planted. Lots of bouquets are filled out with this generous display.
And, it's one less weeding job! ;)
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dtd,
I am not as concerned about it's cold hardiness as I am about wind damage. It is a fan shaped plant (another plus) and I will kick some mulch at the base and pray once the cold weather sets in. Thanks for the link it looks like great nursery have you ever bought from them? kt
PS in my previous post I referred to Helmond's Pillar as Hillard's Pillar when in all actuality Hillards is an amazing chocolate shop that had sadly closed it's doors a few years ago and has now decided to give a second go...how could I have ever confused chocolate with plants it must have been lust.

Coreopsis Sweet Dreams -- my first year -- is flopping heavily (I didn't realize), but it is propped up to some extent by Persicaria Red Dragon, and they look very happy together.

I have some G. 'Rozanne' that are right next to a good sized clump of Siberian Iris. The Geranium wove its way through the foliage of the Iris, gaining needed support, while brightening up what would otherwise be a large clump of plain foliage right at the front of the border.

Here is my accident for 2006, I planted several climbing plants from seed to grow up the potted trells. As you can see I have pepper plants coming up from the pot. I did not have any pepper seeds except for earlier in the year when I winter sowed some that I thought never germinated. The strange part is I don't recall doing any transplants in this pot only seeds, but obviously hitting 50 last year is starting to pay a price, geesh. The funniest thing is there are actually two pepper plants here and both are well over a foot tall, two and three times the size of any of my other store bought plants transplated in my garden. I'll certainly consider container planting peppers next year.

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Here it is -- less the alyssum which got toasted during the heat, and the mini roses that I took out and replanted in the foreground before getting smothered. Showed the plants, here, rather than the container, but you get the idea. Please remember I am in year two of building a park, so things are still a bit sparse :-)

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Martie