During a celebratory bounce on the trampoline yesterday I noticed (not for the first time) that I didn’t plant most of the trees in which it’s nestled. Most of them are volunteers. They landed in their spots from errant seeds and saplings, and our careful mowing preserved them in their infancy.

In fact, I don’t think it’s too much of a stretch to say that most of the trees in the back yard are scrappy survivors — the tulip poplar, weeping cherry and sassafras tree. They remind me that, as I mentioned a few days ago, you never know.

One of the most beautiful volunteers is the Japanese maple. Early next month its leaves will turn scarlet, lighting up the leafless yard.

Are “accidental trees” hardier than their planted cousins? Seems to me they are. Perhaps they hold lessons for us all.