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| Achillea millefolium Tutti Frutti ‘Pineapple Mango’ |
My garden speaks to me and says, “Carol, your destiny is to weed”.
No revelation there, everyone’s garden tells them the same thing. “You must weed”.
It matters not what we do in the garden. How much we mulch. How careful we are with not disturbing the soil, lest we expose weed seeds that have been lying dormant under ground, seeds that only need a tiny beam of light and a drop of water to awaken them and cause them to germinate.
Weeds are tricky when they germinate. Weeds seem to grow deep, expansive roots first, before they reveal their leaves and announce their arrival in the garden. Then when you go to pull that tiny little weed, it feels like you are trying to pull a nail out of hardened cement with your bare heads.
Weeds protect themselves, too. They often have thorns and sharp little hairs along the stems so you can’t just casually reach down with your bare hands when you first see them. No, you must stop what you are doing, arm yourself for battle and then pull those weeds.
Weeds know how to hide. They grow close to desirable plants where they won’t be noticed until the desriable plant is hollering, “Help me, I’ve got a weed taking up my space in the garden.” Then you almost have to perform surgery to remove the weed and leave the desirable plant intact.
I have no hope of a weed free garden, at least not for now. I know what I’m up against. I even know where the weeds are most likely to grow. I know their names. I know their techniques. I know which ones will laugh and grow back after my feeble attempt to remove them. I know the annual weeds. I know the perennial weeds.
I know that my destiny is to weed.
And now that I know this, the garden can stop growing weeds to drive this point home.
Oh yes, and how about those plants that aren't, technically, weeds, but sure grow like weeds?
And then, I've also learned that some people's wildflowers are other people's weeds.
I work at home and weeds make it dangerous for me to walk out and have a quick look at the flowers. I always end up seeing a weed and pulling it and then when I'm down there I see another one. And another and before I know it I have been crawling around the garden for an hour pulling weeds and my productivity goes out the door.
Gosh, I hope that works, Carol. Acknowledging the weeds means they don't have to work so hard to get our attention? Hey weeds! I know you're out there!
This is one method to get rid of weeds that I haven't heard about. I will go out and tell my weeds that I know they are there and that it is my destiny to weed. Maybe that will persuade them to stay in the side lot.
Weeds go with the territory! LOL
If only the garden would listen to your last words. Alas, weeding is my destiny as well but I find it cathartic and gratifying with a little bit of 'so there' mixed in.
My weeds don't speak to me…they are shouting! After the nice little rain we had, it should be easier to pull them today; I'll try your method and see if they go away after I acknowledge their existence. But there are some who are masters of camouflage–they hide out, pretending they're a rudbeckia seedling or a liatris. Then they turn into monsters, not only startling me, but defying any hoe:)
weeds.. are to me like laundry, taking out the trash and food shoppng. it it there, always, constant in one's life.. so, I think of Snow White.. and decide.. to Whistle While I Work, and thereby, defeat the foe… no laundry, taking out of the trash, food shopping, and yes .. weeding, will get this puppy down.. o no.. because, while I whistle, there is always Ice Cream or Chocolate at the end of the trail to say, Good Job! and that sigh, that deep heavy satisfied sigh that wells up from the inner most part of the gardener, lady, & human me… and I am ok with the universe once again.. I vanquish
Sometimes my garden has to shout quite a lot to get my attention…
My weeds whisper insistently, until they get big enough to shout – which never takes very long.
Weeds simply suck.~~Dee