There’s a place somewhere

Published on by Laura Bloomsbury

“I used to love my garden But now my love is dead
For I found a Bachelor’s Button In black-eyed Susan’s bed. ~ Anon

Whoever gave the synonym of weak
and straggly growth to weeds, had never pulled up
groundsel, grass or creeping buttercup
felt the tussle, tug and tweak 

of futile hands on broadleaved dock
rooted through the nettle patch
dispatched the knotweed with a match
or dealt pernicious poison to a hemlock.

Eradicate, exterminate, these  verbs
our turf  war battles with the weeds 
but when persistent papaver and cornflower seeds
the wheat, they give delight. And herbs

we gardeners tend and grow so tenderly
are wild in hedgerow, bank and verge
for those who know just how to forage*
- but still some mow them recklessly 

and lose the verdant gift of wilderness. 
When cranesbills* nestle down to grow
unplanted in a niche, I leave them so
whilst feverfew* that yearly does transgress 

some patch of ground apportioned for the cultivar
with charm of daisy heads, does stay my hand.
All these deemed weeds for breaching what is planned
tough stowaways with wilful, wildflower repertoire

we surely should leave room for them somewhere
and cease this herbicidal, cruel warfare.

*Foraging weeds in March – the Woodland Trust

Weed – a plant or wildflower considered undesirable because growing where it is not wanted. 
Weedy – (of a plant, flower, etc.) growing poorly, in a straggling manner.
Cranesbill -herb Robert – one of 3 native wild geraniums
Feverfew – Tanacetum parthenium perennial herb related to tansy and chrysanthemums

Sarah’s Poetics prompt “Weeds Rule OK” had me resorting to rhyme as part of this National Weed Appreciation day

20 thoughts on “There’s a place somewhere”

  1. I love the contrast of your ‘weedy’ reference with the tenacious strength of weeds, Laura! I especially love the alliterative list of three ‘tussle,tug and tweak’. Down the road from my daughter’s house is a wonderful re-wilded park, where I walked her dog last week. It’s full of amazing wild plants (not weeds!) and other wildlife. My garden is similar, and I want ti leave it that way.

  2. I know the struggle…. but as long as they are not poisonous the best way is probably to harvest and eat them… one of my favorites is ground elder which is a hardcore weed… but I draw the line at Japanese Knotweed

  7. Oops, Sarah, I hope you won’t do to those weeds what we Americans did to our American Ingenious (the American Indian) and banish them to a reservation. 🙂
    p.s. Thanks for the neat prompt.
    ..

  8. I’ve pulled my share of weeds. Now I repent.

    I like spiders and their webs, even snails, whosoever
    found their way here, without my say so’ing.
    have we each a stubborn claim on this place,
    a right passage to eat and remain; I think, just enough.
    less someone goes astray, more harm than otherwise.
    maybe then. Are you listening you (hu-man beans)?
    what’s natural, is what’s here evident. What’s delight,
    that’s a different kinder hand.

    (you started it)

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