Putting aside all the planning, head scratching, and procrastinating, it's the small unplanned surprises that often give us the most satisfaction. It’s interesting and remarkable how an unexpected event will often be the most talked about; did you see the deer in the garden yesterday? The hedgehog last night? The hummingbird hawkmoth flitting from flower to flower?
Plants too can surprise us by behaving out of character - maybe flowering a month earlier than last year; maybe tolerating a harder frost than we knew possible or growing twice as high as previous years.
Some of the greatest unplanned pleasures for us at Genus HQ are the self-seeded surprises that pop up where they choose, putting down roots in cracks, crevices, and gaps in the borders. Calendula, Welsh poppies, and hellebores make frequent appearances, but this week the Aquilegia ‘William Guinness’ made a visit to our border on the north side of the cottage. Self seeded and unexpected it must have come from somewhere but signs of its parents are not to be found. Whatever its genealogy, it’s more than welcome in our garden where we hope to enjoy its offspring for years to come.