It is a gardening chore most people dread. I dread it myself, weeding that is.
But it needs to be done once in a while, even in the low maintenance, live and let live universe of the Fairegarden. The worst spots, those that so offend my eyes on the daily garden perusal, get attacked first.
After a rain is best, when the earth is soft and the roots respond well to a gentle tug. The hori hori knife is always at hand for the taprooted unwanteds. We don’t pull every single weed, and we use that term weed very specifically. Many volunteers are allowed to live out their entire life cycle, bloom, set seed and wither back without human interference.
Most of the weeding is done in the pathways, when the taller grasses and overabundant Nigella threaten safe passage. In the garden beds, there is hardly any bare ground so the weeds cannot get going in there. It took several years of planting, dividing, adding new, finding the right combination of groundcovers and perennials to cover the bare soil, but that is the key to stopping weed germination.
Forget weed cloth, nearly all weeds arise from airborn seeds, settling happily in the fibers of the weed barrier and growing right through it, making pulling the plant out impossible. Mulches and gravel work for some weeds, but others relish the fine, open field in which to grow. There is simply no way to get away from having to do a little weeding.
The need to be outdoors is strong in me. It is an imperative. I am like a caged animal when confined indoors. In winter, there are layers of clothing worn, with a top layer of waterproof material. Hat, scarf, wooly socks and waterproof boots complete the outfit. Moving plants, redoing a bed, dividing perennials are things that can be done in winter as long as the ground is not frozen. It usually isn’t, most years.
When the warm season arrives, after the last frost date for our area, which is April 15, after spring planting, it is weeding that is the primary gardening occupation on a daily basis. It is not as gratifying as finding the perfect place for that new purchase, but pulling out offending plants offers satisfaction of a more spiritual sort.
Exerting control over the uncontrollable, making sense of the nonsensical, finding a rhythym and workable method of searching out the wild geranium growing amidst the dianthus and pulling it without disturbing the pinks too much, that is what weeding offers a gardener. It is my therapy, helping to keep the demons down in the pinky toe where they can do no harm. It also makes the garden prettier.
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The weeding today was done in the pathway that is home to the great mixture of Dianthus ssp. that have cross pollinated over the years to be a wonderful mishmash of flower forms and colors. To read more about them, click here.
Frances
Fairegarden 
The early spring push through here is always a chore but after that I do find it quite satisfying to weed. It gives me time alone. Time to think. Have a great weekend.
My weeds did so well this last winter – I was really proud of them – NOT. By the time I got to them they were a good size, so I had an immediate sense of satisfaction which is the absolutely best thing about finally getting to them when they’ve had time to grow. As I think about it, though, you are absolutely right. The area that has been well planted and had time to grow was in much better shape than the new garden area created last year – still too much open space.
Weed, weed, weed, all I want to do is weed, weed my garden.
I have a long way to go to fill in my new beds which are large, but I’ll get there… plant, plant, plant…
Weeding can be very satisfying. Your garden looks so inviting.
Your garden is beautiful. I agree–weeding is good for the soul. Whenever I need a bit of “mommy quiet time,” I just tell the family, “It’s time to weed the garden!” POOF! The children are nowhere to be found. 😉 Hope you enjoy a lovely day in the garden!
I agree weeding is good for the soul. Beautiful photos.
I love your desription at the end of this post on why weeding fills our psychological needs. On a lovely calm day in sunshine I do get satisfaction by weeding, weeding, weeding. So rewarding. You nailed the essence of a good day of weed patrol so well!
I love to weed after it rains and if we’ve had a long dry spell I will just sprinkle for awhile til the ground softens but I’ve read frequently that weeding when the plants are wet spread mildew and disease? I’m not sure that has happened-maybe some mildew -any thoughts on that?
Frances, thanks; “caged animal” is on the money. It really is imperative to my mental/emotional health to be outdoors. Inside, I’m a foreigner. Cold, light rain; I can deal with it. It’s the summers in TX that are so difficult for me. Can’t take the heat. At least I have first light ’til Mr. Sun drives me in. You’re right about weeding, on all counts. I actually water the decomposed gravel driveway before weeding and find that all except some of the more determined (and hated) bermuda grass come up, even without help of a tool. Hard work, but oh, so satisfying when surveying the results from a bench with a nice cup of coffee in my grubby paws.
Weeding is not my favorite chore but I’m a happy camper these days because I’ve found someone to help me do it!
Early in the season, when nearly half of everything growing is a weed, it really is a chore… but I feel such a sense of satisfaction once a bed has been set to rights. The rest of the year, it’s just maintenance and it isn’t so overwhelming. And that’s when I really enjoy it — like you, I relish the time to be alone, to think, to relax, and then to be able to look back and see a job well done.
My garden and I need some soul work…perhaps this weekend…love your blog…as usual!
LOL at keeping the demons down in the pinky toe! I also have a compulsion to be out in the garden, even in winter. Weeding is relaxing for me too. Your wide variety of Dianthus are very pretty, one of my favorite workhorse perennials.
I don’t really mind weeding that much, it’s a good time to think or not think at all. I have a hard time weeding self sown plants though, especially Ngella which seems to pop up all over the place, like you mostly just from path areas when they interfere with walking through. I have that exact same blue trug and I’ve almost worn it out breaking a handle, but I still choose that one over the newer one with two intact handles.
Hi everyone – I am fairly new to your blog and am enjoying it very much. I also live in TN – south of Nashville. I loved your Dianthus pictures – they were so beautiful – I have many different varieties as well and never thought to let them go to seed – I just deadheaded one yesterday. Learn something new every day. I have a suggestion about the weeds in areas that still have bare spots and also for paths. Use layers of newspapers and then cover with cardboard and then mulch. I have over 3 acres and we create new beds every year and since we started doing this, it has cut our weeding by aout 75%. It is especially useful for beds where not much is going to be planted for a while. It can also be used for vegetable beds. I will never buy landscape fabric again. There are books and articles about this – it is called “lasagne gardening”.Best part besides eliminating most of the weeds is that the newspaper and cardboard decompose and help your soil. Keep up your good work. Carol
Bravo Carol!!! I’m a diehard recycler and appreciate the breakdown of our daily news, as “mulch and weed block, etc” Welcome to a beautiful garden blog and embrace what the amazing, Frances can tell you……….because she tells it like it is…..good and bad.
I also am a new member. I began using cardboard and newspaper when I moved to my first home two years ago. Topped off with mulch, the weeds never came up. I was afraid the rain wasn’t going through all that paper material so I cut back to two sheets of newspaper and still, the weeds didn’t come up all season.
Does anyone know the name of the weed in the fifth picture on this blog? We had them this winter in Michigan. The weather was so warm in March, At first, they were the most beautiful semi-globular white flowering plant…..
I always enjoy this Blog and the things I see and learn about. Thanks….Elizabeth in Port Moody, Canada
True that, my sister……………….
Yes, great suggestions about planting things close and tight to discourage weeds. I do the same. It’s all that works. I hate landscape cloth. It doesn’t work. I do put some organic preen down on the gravel where the worst seed infestations happen. And, yes, I weed. I find it therapeutic. Hugs.~~Dee
I like to weed but I find if it pulls easily it’s a flower –if it doesn’t, it’s a weed. I’ve pulled lots of flowers!
Well today it is raining and tomorrow is going to be dry. I’m sure the weeds in my front garden are shivering in their boots. They know what tomorrow brings. I’m off to the dentist in the morning, so I think a bit of weeding will be very therapeutic afterwards.