Defender Of Dirt, Warrior Of Weeds
The end of March brings us two unconventional, lesser holidays – National Weed Appreciation Day on March 28th and National Grass Is Always Browner On The Other Side Day on March 30th. Sure, they may seem like silly days to celebrate, and they certainly don’t share the popularity and swagger of red-letter days the likes of Talk Like a Pirate Day, but I have to admit, I’m a fan none-the-less. These largely overlooked days take a moment to appreciate that which is often overlooked, forgotten, or even downright disliked. As the little girl at heart who has always had an affinity for the chipped cup, three-legged dogs and anti-heroes, forget-me-nots, freckles, tattered books and used day old donuts – these days speak straight to my soul.
Seeing The World Through Emerald Tinted Glasses
Okay, so maybe the grass isn’t always browner on the other side, but we have to remember that, even as green as our neighbor’s garden may be, we’re not seeing the whole picture from our side of the fence (metaphorical or otherwise). We don’t see all the work, the hours, the blood, sweat, and tears that went in to accomplishing that pasture of emerald, or whatever you imagine the land of milk and honey to look like. It may look great in its current state, but it took work to get there, and it takes work to maintain. Work is work is work, and if you’re willing to put the work in you can turn your space, whatever that space may be, into your own personal oasis
Which brings me to one of my favorite mantras – Grow where you are planted.
Take the time, tend the soil, sow the seeds, and be patient. Good things come to those who wait, especially if they’ve sowed flower seeds. Beautiful gardens don’t happen overnight, it’s always a process. Sometime, in that process, you have to get something to grow before you can get anything to grow. Which brings us to weeds, — and why they deserve a bit more appreciation than they usually receive.
Weeds
Okay, so what is a weed anyway? Well, a weed is any plant that is growing somewhere we don’t want it to grow. This is, of course, not including noxious weeds and invasives, which are unappreciated, even on this hallowed day of aggressive creeper appreciation. So, who decides what a weed is? Well, mostly you….and maybe your HOA. Weeds have a bad rap, and sometimes justly so. They can be annoying, unsightly, and damaging to property and other plants.
But sometimes weeds can be beneficial. They help to rejuvenate and repair soil that has been depleted or compacted. Their tenacious roots digging down to bring life back to barren ground. They can also teach us about our soil. The type of weeds that are growing can inform us as to what nutrients are present, or missing, from our soil. We can use this to determine what other types of plants would also thrive there or what amendments would help to improve the soil. And I will die on this hill and the weeds will grow over my remains, – growing weeds is better than growing nothing at all. Bare soil is vulnerable to erosion, depletion, and compaction.
In spite of all that, you really hate that bindweed. It’s such a pain and it’s choking out your beautiful echinacea.
What is a gardener to do?
Cultivating A Higher Class Of Weed
No, I’m not talking about growing the devil’s lettuce, I’m talking about cover crops! Cover crops are wonderfully functional plants that are pervasive enough to out compete undesirable weeds and well behaved enough to not become a nuisance themselves. They are polite weeds. The European badger of weeds, if you will, compared to the feral, rabid honey badger of a weed that is goats head. It’s the Crimson Clover that would like to have you over for tea and the alfalfa that says “bless you” when you sneeze.
Cover Crops can also be a benefit to pollinators!
Cover crops can work to tame the more unruly weeds that seek to take over your domain. Once you’ve tamed the wilds, chop and drops your cover crop to leave as a mulch layer that helps to hold in moisture and rejuvenates your soil as it breaks down. Take that bindweed!
Here’s a toast to these ugly ducklings of holidays, may we mind our own pile dirt and grow some fancy weeds!
