I planted a whole opera by accident

Here is a small thing that has been making me laugh all week. Back in spring I wanted peppers, so I did the responsible thing and worked through the nursery's whole list, looking up which varieties are the most productive. I checked Escamillo, then a few others, then Carmen — one at a time, spread down the list. Into the cart they went. I raised the seedlings indoors under a grow light and finally planted them out front.

And then it hit me. Escamillo. Carmen. I had planted a whole Carmen opera in my front yard. Haha! Side by side, those two names would have given it away instantly — but strung out down a list of pepper varieties, the toreador walked right past me. For a household that plays four hands all day, I somehow did not notice until he was already in the ground.

The funny part is they are both thriving in this heat — my accidental opera is having a wonderful run. It reminds me of something I keep noticing with music too: you set out to learn one specific thing, and you look up later to find you've grown a whole cast of things you never planned for. (More on that in the book, which is nearly there.)

So now I have to ask: has your garden ever staged something on you? Tell me what unexpectedly showed up in yours.