Vegetable gardeners can plan and plant, but often their gardens produce an unexpected bounty.

I ’ve been surprised by my vegetable gardens over the last few yr . Most of those surprise came in the form of unexpected insect damage or plant diseases that cropped up overnight .

But this year , there was a nice surprise awaiting me in the spring . A squash plant burgeon forth on its own in the soil route behind the vegetable darn , and I transplant it into the garden .

I recognized it as a squash vine start , but did n’t know what it would become . I thought it might be a courgette from a long - forgotten yield . I just hoped it was n’t some wild gourd that would finally take over the garden .

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As the vine started to grow , I propped it up in a tomato batting cage . If it start to devour my precious tomato plants , it would get ripped from the ground by its antecedent .

The marvellous vine uprise long tendril and then started to put out great and beautiful efflorescence that drew bees to the vegetable garden to cross-pollinate other plants . As the flowers grew , I saw the squash that would take shape .

Acorn squashes are winter squash and they have a distinctive shape . They ca n’t be confuse with a yellow summertime squash or zucchini . They do n’t look like any other winter squash either .

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It was a mystery as to how that squelch seed constitute itself , stock and started to grow correctly in the dirt path with no special dirt or loving care . In fact , I had never planted acorn squash before .

Then I was reminded in winter I place seeds from supper - time veg on the fence as a dusty - weather treat for the squirrel . One of those squirrels raffishly tossed a source from the fencing and planted it for me .

I make out many gardeners dislike these furry critters because they eat ripe tomatoes or have other chaos in the garden , although I ’ve never felt that mode . This is n’t the first time I ’ve had agood surprise from a neighborhood squirrel . I enjoy feeding them throughout the year , and now it looks like they ’re going to fee me , too .

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What kinds of surprise have you launch in your vegetable garden ?

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Vegetable gardens can be full of surprises.Photo/Illustration: Jodi Torpey

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