So, every year I plant some things I probably shouldn't.  Either they aren't practical, they don't really grow well in our zone, or I really don't have space for it once it's grown.  This year I have saffron crocuses, black strawberries, white strawberries, rhubarb and artichoke.  

I have the strawberries stuffed into planter boxes that fit on the lip of the raised beds.  If the rhubarb and artichoke make it through the summer on the north side of the house I may need to add a shade bed there.  If I do I might ass some asparagus there since I don't have much currently.  

I really don't have much room for more garden beds, but every year I have been adding a little bit more.  It's like an odd compulsion.  Last year was the fig that died from a fungus (fig 2.0 is now in a planter on the patio, this time the "celeste" variety that is supposed to be more fungus resistant).  The year before it was a baby cherry tree, also still growing on my rather crowded patio.  

Anybody else out there adding that odd plant that you either don't really have room or use for?  What prompted you to plant them?  I don't really eat much artichoke - they just remind me of "day of the triffids" in that alien-looking-might-eat-you-if-you-turn-your-back-on-it kind of way.

Current oddballs
rhubarb - doesn't like our SC heat
artichoke - don't eat much or have room for it
saffron - does anyone really take tweezers and harvest the threads?
cherry - no room so it's sitting on the patio
fig - doesn't seem to like our humidity, but I'm giving it one more shot
strawberry - part of the ongoing bird wars - so far the birds are winning
dragon fruit - doesn't really belong in our zone, so I will have to move it indoors in winter

Years ago I was in CA for business and someone gave me a White Guava plant.  I knew it wouldn't work in MT so I gave it to my folks in AZ, didn't think it would work there either.

Well it took off, plant grows great, and they get a couple pounds of incredible guavas each summer.

We accidentally ordered the wrong type of cherry tree for our zone. We planted them anyways, and we'll see what happens...

 

Celeste figs grow great in SC. Just make sure it has full sun. Mines 15+ ft tall and my neighbor has two in the 10ft range.

For the bird wars you can try a few things:

1. Put a bird bath near the strawberries and try to keep it full.
2. Put bird netting over the strawberries (available at lowes/home depot).
3. Try bright colored strips that look like snakes in the strawberries.

This is this years experiment, yes that's thorns on the fruit

Nice thorns. What is it?

Yep, if you plan to grow them this year get them started asap. Germination was 4+ weeks. They're by far the hardest thing I've ever started from seed. The first 50 seeds from Baker Creek gave me 0 germination, out of 50 seeds from a second source only 10 have germinated (I'm on week 5 of the second source seeds). Under the same conditions my trinidad scorpions germinated in under 7 days and all the 'regular' plants in 3-5 days. Even my blueberry seeds germinated faster, and they're notoriously long.