One of the things I love about gardening is the unexpected arrivals. After being away for three weeks we had a predictable explosion of spring weeds – sticky weed, nettles and grasses especially. Many of them arrived with the sheep manure dug up from under the woolshed a few months ago.
Also expected were the running-wildly-to-flower brassicas Continue reading
capeweed (arctotheca calendula)
According to Michael Pollan in The Botany of Desire there are plants that, just by chance, have turned out to be something we really want. Potatoes as food, apples for fruit and alcohol, marijuana for druggy highs. Those plants that we like, we promote and encourage no matter how needy and pathetic they are. We choose them over all others. The attractiveness of tulips led to a bidding war that collapses an economy (in the 17th century, but still). We move them from continent to continent, grow them under lights and in hothouses and despite all discouragement.
I was thinking about this as I hauled out weeds from the bottom of the garden. Continue reading
