I’m happy to have a self-sown Ligularia ‘Britt Marie Crawford’ next to its mother plant this year, about 4 inches tall and should be ready to move by fall.

All kinds of plants have self sowed for me this year (and in year's past). My favorite this year is a self sowed, natural hybrid rudbeckia, a semi double with stripes (no, I don't grow any striped rudbeckias). I haven't bought a rudbeckia of any kind in about 12 years. Coneflowers are like weeds, they resow so easily, and I get some lovely snapdragons varieties that are spontaneous new natural hybrids as well. Snaps act like short lived perennials in my garden. And I have a New Hampshire cranesbill that has reseeded in a couple of spots. These are only a few of the plants that reseed around here. Diane

We had a rare wet winter and I got volunteer sweet pea, tangerine crossvine, aristolochia erecta,

Diane, I'm in love with your rudbeckia, which seems more handsome than any I've seen. Sea lavender is one of the few plants that has multiplied itself in my garden and marjoram is another one.

Ingrid, I love that sea lavender. In fact, after seeing yours in photos a few years ago, I ordered some seed. I realized it would be lucky to live one season around here (if I could get it started by direct sowing). So I sent the seed to Cori Ann. I hope she was able to use it. I remember you showing your marjoram not long ago, and I thought it was a wonderful idea to use it as an ornamental, not just an herb. Is marjoram, which is lovely, by the way, a perennial for your area? I wonder if it would be in this garden. I need to research that. Both plants are perfect for your garden. I should mention that some penstemon reseeds very nicely. Red Rocks is a great reseeder (horrific name for this soft mauve plant). Diane

I had a pink gasplant that bloomed for the first time this year...the original plant died 3-5 years ago. I have a white one nearby that is shorter and not as showy so this was a pleasant surprise. The original one had been growing more and more in shade due to cedar shrubs and had finally gave up the ghost...I guess reseeding was a way of planting itself in a more ideal spot.

The hollyhocks have excelled themselves on the allotment. I'm not sure where they originated. I've never sown any. Just a few of them ...

Ps apologies for the state of the path. Too busy planting brassicas to get around to mowing it.

Floral, I love your hollyhocks. I forgot about mine, which reseed every year. I'm so lazy, I don't know what I'd do without all my reseeders. Diane

There are two hydrangea seedlings here this spring. I suspect they were there already last year but I just missed them, they're probably off 'Limelight' and I'm curious to see what they look like in bloom (yes, counting chickens already).

Also I was so proud of my nice neat mulching job but now it's been 'ruined' by pumpkin seedlings coming up from the compost I used. Of course I'll leave them because I love the pumpkin surprises.... even when they mess up the mulch, overrun the perennials, and smother the lawn... but they sure are fun!

Anthemis has been everywhere, in varous guises between yellow, white and inbetween - a nice change from the ubiquitous ox-eye daisies. However, for this avid grower of hardy annuals, there are always far too many seedling surprises - amazing how ruthlessly I can strip out perfectly good plants and toss them in the compost.

To my utmost joy, the mystery minuscule seedlings I have been nurturing for over a year, are finally getting a growth spurt...and becoming recognisable as the charming little wildflower, centaury erythraea. I am overjoyed as this wee member of the gentian family has been on my wishlist for years. I bought seeds from one of my favourite sites - Farmer Dodd's site - Kykeon seeds (an absolute mist for any poppy lovers).

Camp, I have the hugely dramatic and surreal Centaurium beyrichi and the much more diminutive Centaurium texense that makes an appearance on wetter years. They are endemic to the area. They grow themselves. The Mountain Pinks are just now blooming on the limestone gravel slopes.

Some of my butterfly plants reseed here. Tropical milkweed, yellow milkweed, Red Lady salvia, some type of blue salvia. Also I have volunteer bulbs that birds planted frm seed..rain lilies, hurricane lilies aka naked ladies, a double daylily. These just popped up in the lawn.

Oh I almost forgot..some craZy squash or melon plant popped up random, and its trying to climb the wire fence where I have roses espaliered. I was gonna let it grow to see what it would produce but now its taking over everything and now blocking a walkway :0

I had a foxglove pop up in one of my flower beds this spring. Almost pulled it as a weed when I recognized what it was. I just collected the seeds from it yesterday to save.

Sultry, I wonder if your crazy squash is a natural hybrid that is especially vigorous--do you have a photo? It sounds quite hilarious. I only get the random sunflower, courtesy of the birds and their black oil sunflower seeds I provide. You are so lucky to get those butterfly friendly plants to reseed for you.

Wanton, I would love to see photos of these wonderful plants you mention. We just don't have the rain to support such neat displays. Our main displays on the draw below are huge swaths of blue flax which appears again and again if we get the slightest bit of precipitation. I grow a few of these in my flower beds.

Katob, how wonderful you get some free hydrangeas. No way would that nice gift appear in my desert flower beds. I am jealous.

Campanula, I would love to see photos of the tiny seedlings you describe, and I am utterly unfamiliar with--I know you don't post photos much, though.

Below is one of my reseeded Red Rocks penstemon--really looks like a red rock, doesn't it. Also some randomly reseeded snapdragons amidst planted ones, and others that have come back from last year, which is a regular occurrence. And finally another photo of my striped semi double rudbeckia (it makes great bouquets) that has hybrized from my plain ones, along with a second type of striped rudbeckia, a single that isn't so dramatic. Diane

Here are some pictures of it the Centaurium beyrichi at the end of their bloom cycle several years ago when they are starting too dry up. They are at the beginning right now. I don't have the time to go out and shoot them today . As you can tell , they are a very specialized plant. Beautiful pink surreal bouquets in blistering hot white limestone screes that also are prone to some seepage when it rains. Very specialized. TXRanger got them to grow in her garden but they did not look as surreal in her garden setting.

Those are so cool, wanton. How I would love to have a natural bouquet of these beauties growing out back. Thanks for posting. Diane

I just discovered another surprise, though it's in its second year. Sheila identified it for me, and I have no idea how it got in my garden. It's Campanula rotundifolia, which is pictured below. Diane