What is that Plant?

I've known for quite a while that there are several little plants coming up in my garden that had never been there before and, moreover, that I had never grown from seed before. Green, shiney leaves on longish stalks. They looked eminently edible and sort-of like spinach. I longed to take a couple little leaves and chew on them to see if I could taste what they were, but since there were so few, I didn't, hoping that they really were something great and that I would have more later in the season. I couldn't bear to weed them out as I truly thought they looked familiar.

Last evening at dinner, I figured out what they were. Chard! A friend had given me a large plant from her garden last winter for Christmas. I could never bring myself to eat it, but dutifully planted it and let it go to seed. It produced a huge seed pod and I spread seeds all over in the late winter. Now I am thrilled to have chard of all sizes coming up among the beans, petunias, tomatoes and strawberries, which, in themselves, started from seed.

I love having a "freely sown" garden. Aside from the chard and strawberries, I also have marigolds, chives, potatoes and lamb's ears that have self-seeded. Well, the potatoes had a little help from me, but it sure is fun. The hardest part is keeping The Artist from weeding.