It is easy to watch your garden grow and not notice the battle among competing vegetation. In grade four my teacher said that a weed was any plant that is growing where it is not wanted. I pride myself in saying that I don't have any weeds growing in my garden but this week I noticed an invasion of strange green plants among our vegetables.
Strawberry plants have a way of travelling many feet in a short time. Our cucumbers are climbing our neighbours hedge and overtaking the tomato plants that were planted eight feet apart. The climbing beans have invaded the apple tree and our Virginia Climber have filled our second floor gutters. I call these invaders weeds as they have to be conquered and the garden restored to an orderly selection of vegetables......wrong...I have not the heart to kill these green plants so I try to move them to their own space.
It would be easier to cut and bundle these plants and make them compost but somehow the beans can be picked from the apple tree and the cucumbers are able to be harvested from my neighbours hedge. The grapes planted on the fence line have taken a liking to the neighbours smoke tree and have engulfed it. I told him he could keep the grapes but he did not smile.
Anyone who has morning glories knows that once they are rooted they make their area safe for themselves and crowd out everything else. Ours were planted to cover a trellis and they did but they have invaded the climbing rose bushes and now we have purple roses among the red roses.
The past few days I have tried to bring order to our greenery and I did in a sense that I have joined up with the free spirits of our flowers and vegetables and have recognized them as equal and may the strongest prevail or learn to live together in harmony. In any case I love to walk among our flora and recognize it for what it is ...sheer beauty.
Strawberry plants have a way of travelling many feet in a short time. Our cucumbers are climbing our neighbours hedge and overtaking the tomato plants that were planted eight feet apart. The climbing beans have invaded the apple tree and our Virginia Climber have filled our second floor gutters. I call these invaders weeds as they have to be conquered and the garden restored to an orderly selection of vegetables......wrong...I have not the heart to kill these green plants so I try to move them to their own space.
It would be easier to cut and bundle these plants and make them compost but somehow the beans can be picked from the apple tree and the cucumbers are able to be harvested from my neighbours hedge. The grapes planted on the fence line have taken a liking to the neighbours smoke tree and have engulfed it. I told him he could keep the grapes but he did not smile.
Anyone who has morning glories knows that once they are rooted they make their area safe for themselves and crowd out everything else. Ours were planted to cover a trellis and they did but they have invaded the climbing rose bushes and now we have purple roses among the red roses.
The past few days I have tried to bring order to our greenery and I did in a sense that I have joined up with the free spirits of our flowers and vegetables and have recognized them as equal and may the strongest prevail or learn to live together in harmony. In any case I love to walk among our flora and recognize it for what it is ...sheer beauty.
This is all so true. I turn my head and the next thing the wild hops have taken over an entire bush. I sense you have many more vines than I do so you had a lot of work keeping them under control. Normally Iowa is very hot right now with no rain so we wouldn't even be having any worry about too much growth. Nice post.
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