No, I’m not talking about human volunteers—although they’re always welcome. I’m talking about volunteer plants. Naturally, some volunteers are unwelcome: crabgrass, pea vine, English ivy, and other invasives must be removed. But some volunteers bring unexpected benefits. An example is the Carolina wild petunia, shown below, to the lower left. It has found a home in the shadow of the taller stiff goldenrod to the right, which we planted last year. The petunia is native to our region. It likes partial sunlight, which is what the much taller goldenrod is giving it. Its violet flowers are supposed to be a favorite of hummingbirds.