To Weed or Not to Weed

Reader Contribution by Katherine Turcotte
Published on February 20, 2009
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Spring brings the arrival of many joyful sounds and sights. The return of birdsong in the morning, the cheery sound of the peepers in the valley, and the bulbs and flowers that faithfully return year after year. And, let’s not forget … the weeds. But as Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “What is a weed? A plant whose virtues have not yet been discovered.” And I couldn’t agree with him more!

Pulling weeds should be a simple thing, and for most gardeners it is. Not much thought goes in to yanking out the dandelions, tugging out the chickweed or eradicating a stubborn patch of ground ivy, Glechoma hederacea (which by the way is a wonderful ground cover and will help keep soil from eroding). If you have ever mowed over ground ivy, aka Gill-over-the-Ground, you will enjoy its minty type scent. Weeding is a natural response to get rid of the predator that threatens to invade our orderly gardens. Not!

When it comes to gardening by no means am I overly frugal. But when I see what most people consider “weeds” – I see possibilities. Chickweed (Stellaria media) is a nutritious treat fresh from the ground. My chickens enjoy it every bit as much as I do, and I know my eggs will taste all the better for it. I love finding the first big patch and eagerly munch on it fresh from the ground, sharing it with my goat, Billy Bahh Bahh. It has a most green taste and is not in the least unpleasant.

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