We’ve worked hard for this tree. One of my favorite things about gardening on a budget (translation: zero dollars) is scoring “free if you dig” plants from neighbors. This tree was a volunteer in a neighboring ditch that we dug up last spring. It was small enough in circumference to reasonably move, but already more than 8 feet tall. After a hazardous ride home with a giant tree sticking out of our van, we planted it in our backyard as part of what we call “Operation Block the View” (houses are a bit close together in these parts). Of course, only then did we try to figure out what kind of tree it is. The neighbors thought it might be a flowering cherry, but the leaves were wrong. It was, however, flowering — we soon found out that transplanting a tree in the middle of flowering is a bad idea, watching as the leaves shriveled and fell. But before summer was out, the tree bounced back to life.

This year, we were stunned (even a bit alarmed) at how fast the tree was filling out. And in July, the mystery tree had fruit! At first we thought they were cherries, but I quickly discovered that they were tiny plums. (At least, they sure look and taste like plums — I took a tentative bite, causing my husband to worry, “What if it’s a poison plum tree?!”) A month later, the tiny plums are no larger. Is there such a thing as a tiny plum tree, or is this something altogether different? I’m sure I could ask a garden expert, but this voyage of discovery is just so much fun. — Mary T.