There comes a time when you must plunge into the depths of the garden border and pull the weeds.
Pull the thistle rising above the rest of the flowers, catching it just as it is ready to burst into bloom and spew its seed about the garden. No matter that it is growing up through the middle of a massive rose. Pull it out.
Pull the perennial sweet pea vines creeping along the ground, snaking their way up to the sunlight through the innocent coneflowers and daisies, ready to strangle them.You don’t have time to lament ever planting the perennial sweet pea in the first place. Pull it out.
Rip out the oxalis, doing its best to disguise itself as an innocent ground cover around the base of the honeylocust tree. It is not innocent. It is a thug. Pull it out.
This not the time to saunter into the garage or garden shed to get a few weeding tools and lay them out like a surgeon preparing to do a delicate operation.
This is a time for action. You and your gloved hands – that’s all you need. You must plunge into the border and yank those weeds out by their roots. You cannot hesitate and wonder even if it is a weed. You must be decisive and quick.
This is not the time to gingerly step into the flower border, carefully deciding where
to put your foot. Your very right to call your garden a “garden” is at
stake here. Another day, another week and you have a full blown weed
patch. Step in there with purpose.
Go. Do it now. Those weeds are not waiting. You have no time to even finish reading this post. Those weeds are growing and they will show you and your garden no mercy. Go get them. Pull them. Do not even give them the dignity of composting. To the trash! Now!
OK – I was just talking to my wife over dinner on the patio last night about what I needed to pull out this Saturday. (I don't get much chance for tending to the garden during the week.) But I'm going to do some serious weeding under the banner of "I don't know if you're a weed, but I just don't want you there." The rose campions are almost totally blocking the garden path and need the be restrained. Thanks for the great posts and please pass on my thanks to the fairies as well.
Oh boy do I have to weed but they will take over now as I still am on restrictions recuperating from surgery watching them choke out more of my garden, but soon….soon I will have no mercy as I rip them out with pleasure!!!
Nothing more satisfying than a good hour weeding and listening to the "rrriiipppp" as the roots are torn from the earth.
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I just pulled out EVERYTHING in a 3' x 10' perennial bed that runs across the face of my veggie garden because it was overrun by campanula, coreposis (keeping those if they survive being barerooted to remove all traces of campanula), catmint and the forementioned perennial sweet pea that is anything but sweet! Now, to go shopping for better behaved plants!
I'm so grateful for mulch. It really keeps the weeds down but, you reminded me of a big one I let grow because I didn't know what it was It needs to go. There are two thugs I regret inviting into the flowerbeds…….a naturalized Kiss-Me-over-the-garden-gate and Violets. I've never seen anything self-seed like those buggers!
Funny post! I loved it. Thanks for making me giggle. Now …. off to pull the weeds!
I've been weeding harder than ever for the past month, but hardly seem to be gaining any ground. It seems our weather – cool and breezy with only a fair amount of rain – is better for the weeds than for the flowers. Not fair.
I'm trying, Carol, really I am. All this rain has really made everything grow like…um, weeds.
*Whine* But I don't wanna weed. It's raining and really, really hot. And all the rain has made the weeds extra prolific. So I'm going to stall a little longer. I promise to work on it Monday. Or Tuesday. We'll see.
This post made me smile. I probably ought to put down mulch, but I never quite get to it. That's okay; I actually enjoy pulling weeds–it's very satisfying. Glad to have found your blog!