Weeds
Why do I do this every year? Well, maybe some humans have this need to rearrange the gardens that Nature provides free-of-charge. Does it give us something to do? God forbid we should just sit and be.
photos by Sue Cauhape
Weeds
Foxtails choke my lavender Weaving up through roots and stems To wave their sassy feathers In open rebellion. Their blades slice my fingers Muscles cramp after a day Of yanking them with vengeance And tossing them in the bin. My selective weeding flusters me. I like the foliage on that weed Growing beside the walk, But what blossoms will appear? Will it retain its springtime glory If I transplant it near the vine Or turn into some monstrous triffid Spreading evil through the year. Which mysterious volunteer Will look better over here? And then there is the mullein So soothing in my cup But a horror along the edge A few seeds cast a year ago Have formed a sturdy wall As high and wide as a hedge But I don't want it there And I certainly can't use it all. Only after weeks of pruning Clearing, burning, resorting To the dreaded Roundup Only when new plantings come And thrive in their new homes Raising their textured foliage And radiant disks into the light Will I feel satisfied. It was a good fight. That's the reward for rotting hips Twisted lumbar and knees That betray my stability. Only when I gaze upon a garden Fresh with dew and alive with promise Do I know that all that work Was worth my effort and the pain.
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I feel your pain, Sue. Every year, we win the battle, we stand in awe of the beauty that nature and we have created - at least for a few weeks. But it is a 1,000-year war that never ends. I have learned to ignore the oxalis and the wild garlic. It is pointless to tear them out - and at least there is a sweet little flower. But fox-tails and burs!? Noooooooo!
I hear ya. We've been selectively viewing which weeds are beneficial and which to dump salt and vinegar on. I've noticed recently here in Vancouver, in neighborhoods free from HOAs, that some folks are choosing to let their yards go wild, which I think is pretty neat and good for the wild pollinators.