weeds

There is a cliche that goes something like: That which doesn't kill me only makes me stronger. I think it applies especially to weeds.

I pulled weeds this morning, trying to be mindful to pull them completely out, roots and all. Even though I might get most of a plant out, it's not enough if I don't get it in its entirety. And if I don't, it feels more like I've just somehow pruned it, that it will grow back stronger and bushier.

By paying attention, I can tell what part of the year it is by which weeds are coming up. And it's important to make sure they get removed before they go to seed. It's disheartening to read that some seeds are viable for years, if not decades. So miss one year or get to them too late, and the unfortunate gardener may pay with a fresh crop of weeds indefinitely.

I learned years ago that a weed was simply a plant that grew where it was not wanted, that an orchid could even be a weed. Too bad they all couldn't be so beautiful! And let's be honest, some weeds are so ugly, where could they possibly grow where they were wanted? When it comes to weeds, the words scourge and bane come to mind. Which is unfortunate for some perfectly nice plants which were given names with the word -weed in them, such as the one that monarch butterflies depend on, the milkweed. It should be called something like 'monarch manna' instead.

It's worth mentioning too that most of these weeds are coming up in the part of the garden that hasn't been converted yet to native plants. Messing with Mother Nature and the environment has opened up a Pandora's box of problems, and yes, even if they were as beautiful as orchids, they'd upset the balance of the Earth.