Visitors to my garden have often remarked on my almost weed-free flower beds.“You must spend all your time weeding” they say, their voices dripping a combination of admiration and envy, as they take in my tidy well-mulched garden.“Not really,” I’m quick to assure them, with perhaps a bit of smuggness, “I don’t give them a chance.” The truth is, this conversation usually takes place during an “Open Garden,” the culmination of months of grooming. Unseen are the year-round battles I wage to keep the upper hand against weeds and plant thugs.“Look! You have a Dandelion!” a friend informs me, loudly . . .
as if she has discovered something I was not aware of. I ignore her. The dandelion is the least of my problems. Of far greater concern are the invasive roots and weed seeds that grow in secret. Even as the garden lulls me with the beauty of its pristine beds, danger lurks. A small tendril, in a far corner of the garden, breaks the soil. Counter-clockwise, it wraps itself around the lower stems of a Forsythia. It grows unobserved. Days later I will pass this section and notice something strange. The Forsythia is leaning at crazy angles. Branches lie horizontal to the ground. Puzzled, although this scene has played out many times before, I march into the underbrush to investigate. And then I spot the problem. I reel back in horror. Convolvulus, more commonly known as Bindweed, with its gay “Morning Glory” type flowers, has reached monstrous proportions! Now, with nowhere to go, the tendrils wave in the breeze above me, like the snake heads of Medusa, searching
for new victims.When noxious vines desist from leveling healthy shrubs, weed seeds bombard our gardens. Our islands of order seem to shout, “Welcome,” to all and sundry. Weed seeds blow in on gusts of wind from distance places, and from as close as next door. Weeds that gain a toe hold, or are left to mature, such as a common Redroot Pigweed or common Lambsquarters, can produce up to 70,000 seeds.Birds and squirrels
drop and bury seeds in the ground. The hardest to see are the seeds that hide amongst other plants or the tree seedlings that are firmly rooted in the ground by the time we spot them and difficult to pull. Squirrels may be responsible for the dozens of exotic Oregon Myrtlewood seedlings, Umbellularia californica, I find in my garden. For many years I pulled or dug them up. When noxious vines desist from leveling healthy shrubs, weed seeds bombard our gardens. Our islands of order seem to shout, “Welcome,” to all and sundry. Weed seeds blow in on gusts of wind from distance places, and from as close as next door. Weeds that gain
a toe hold, or are left to mature, such as a common Redroot Pigweed or common Lambsquarters, can produce up to 70,000 seeds. Birds and squirrels drop and bury seeds in the ground. The hardest to see are the seeds that hide amongst other plants or the tree seedlings that are firmly rooted in the ground by the time we spot them and difficult to pull. Squirrels may be responsible for the dozens of exotic Oregon Myrtlewood seedlings, Umbellularia californica, I find in my garden. For many years I pulled or dug them up and threw them away. Was I a nut myself? Other people complain about giant Maple seedlings. After fourteen years I have finally begun potting them up to use in containers and give to friends. The fresh leaves are more potent in soups and stew
than store bought bayleaves. I am even using them as subjects for topiary, although they are capable of growing to eighty feet with a width of fourty one feet! I too, am guilty of spreading weed seeds. They attach themselves to my clothing as I move through the garden or hitch rides in the soil, that clings to plants, I move to new locations. I have even carried them home from plant sales, nestled under the leaf of a prized plant find. Each time we spade up the soil, dormant seeds come to light. Add moisture and air and they spring Pull weeds when you see them, before they have taken over. Take frequent walks through your garden. Get to know it on intimate terms.to life. Weed seeds buried in the soil remain viable for years. Some weed seeds, like Jimson Weed can be stored in the ground for as long as forty years. Long term survival of weed seeds in the soil, coupled with the large numbers produced, insures that once a weed becomes established, it will continue to reestablish itself almost
indefinitely.If weed seeds are so tough it’s no wonder we agonize over their presence. Weeding spells work. Of all the complaints I hear from fledgling gardeners, weeding heads the list. There is hope, however. The first line of defense is good, friable soil. Good soil makes weeding easier. Instead of yanking them out of hard clay, you merely pluck them out. I am convinced that fluffy soil is more important for the gardener than for the plant, and so much easier on our backs. Mulch. A good mulch keeps weed seeds buried or at least discouraged. There is nothing more pathetic than a Rose, for instance, with its feet choked with weeds. A good mulch smothers all the bad guys and saves work later on. Pull weeds when you see them, before they
have taken over. Take frequent walks through your garden. Get to know it on intimate terms. Practice diligence. Spring is not the only season to weed. I get rid of lots of perennial weeds in the winter while the soil is still moist. One last tip, that has served me well over the years, is planting plants close together to shade
out weeds.