I won’t lie, my garden is pretty weedy. Really weedy. It always is. I go out there with all intentions of having a pretty little row by row garden and then I end up with the jungle (I’ll go out and take a picture later, it’s too hot right now). I think part of it is because I am nestled into a side hill and there is a lot of wildflower growth right above the garden…the wind comes down through the mountain and plants all the seeds into the garden. Of course, the other problem is that while I always have the ambition to get out and work in the garden for three or four hours a day - it usually ends up being like every other for an hour. Inevitably, while I am out there, there is yelling and screaming and I have to come and see what’s going on; or someone needs to go somewhere and when I get back, it’s time to start dinner - or I get distracted by something else.

So, I was weeding yesterday - quite heartily and recovered both 100 foot rows of beets. However, while I was out there, I noticed that some of the weeds that were intermixed with my broccoli and cauliflower, looked remarkably like the broccoli and cauliflower plants - they didn’t have the same bluish hue, but the structure looked essentially the same. And I got to thinking…since the weeds grow faster  than the cultivated plants, is there any chance that they could be beneficial, rather than a hindrance?

I did a little research - and while the final verdict is still up in the air - it would appear that although weeds do take a lot from a row of cultivated veggies (sharing water, light, etc.); they also provide food for bugs that might otherwise eat your plants, increase pollination and provide some plants with necessary shade. In addition, some weeds have roots that clear the soil, attract grubs and cutworms and replenish it with nitrogen - acting like a green manure.

I also try to mulch heavily with newspaper, hay, compost and stuff from the barn.

Why not just cave in and use herbicides a friend said to me? Well, if it’s not good for the weeds, I can’t imagine it’s too good for the plants. And I don’t really mind a weedy garden in theory - but my Martha-esque sensibility does feel the same kind frustration in my weedy garden as I do in my cluttered living room. I try and push past that feeling…while giving a satisfying yank to another weed that is past my knees in height.

Will I continue to weed? Yes, I will. But as you will see when I post photos, my huge garden will never be weed-free. I think I will continue to weed the immediate area around my plants and allow other weeds to grow up and act as a barrier. Do I wish I could have one of those pretty little gardens with the plants all perfectly tended in a row and not a weed in sight. Yes. And maybe someday I will get there. But for now, I enjoy just getting out there everyday (or every other day), watching my plants grow healthy, knowing that they will feed my family in a variety of ways.

How does your garden grow?