Weeds grow amok in Aromas backyard
Rain this late in the season can be wonderful and awful at the
same time. It’s wonderful, because I’ve hardly had to water my
plants at all, compared with a normal year. It’s awful because of
the weeds.
Have you noticed the weeds this year? How could you not?
The grass at my house is waist high
– something I don’t ever think I’ve seen before – and the
dandelions, witch weed, and tens of thousands of others are running
riot over my garden. There are heaps of French broom to be pulled
out before it reseeds and takes over the hillside. It’s been a
banner year for weeds.
Weeds grow amok in Aromas backyard
Rain this late in the season can be wonderful and awful at the same time. It’s wonderful, because I’ve hardly had to water my plants at all, compared with a normal year. It’s awful because of the weeds.
Have you noticed the weeds this year? How could you not?
The grass at my house is waist high – something I don’t ever think I’ve seen before – and the dandelions, witch weed, and tens of thousands of others are running riot over my garden. There are heaps of French broom to be pulled out before it reseeds and takes over the hillside. It’s been a banner year for weeds.
Everything’s been weed-whacked at least once, and one area at least three times already, but it all continues to grow.
There are weeds everywhere – along the sides of the roads, in the unmowed fields, and springing up around neglected homes and buildings. Nobody’s bothering to do anything about them, because it continues to rain sporadically, and no one wants to mow or weed-whack until the rain is really over. The weeds are pretty happy.
I have that peculiar California mindset that believes that you should only have to mow once, in the spring, and then that part of yard maintenance is over with for the year. This year, it’s like we’ve all been transplanted to the Midwest, where they mow once a week, and sometimes that isn’t even enough.
California is supposed to be a desert, and after living in it practically my whole life, I’m used to it. I expect it to be dry. I don’t want it to be wet.
In some ways, an arid climate is a blessing. When conditions are dry, there are fewer weeds and they aren’t so big. Fewer bugs, too. It’s also been a banner year for mosquitoes and fleas, and I’m not liking that much at all.
And now, no one’s talking about the drought anymore, but they are starting to make nervous noises about the fire danger that could be posed later this year by all those weeds and such, when things eventually dry out.
There’s never a happy balance between those two ends of the spectrum, is there?
I personally don’t have anything against the weeds, other than they tend to disrupt the features of my garden when they get too big and too numerous. There are some people who say that weeds are only in the eye of the beholder – some weeds, like dandelions, have edible or herbal properties and can be cultivated like any other crop.
Still other plants that some gardeners consider to be weeds I leave alone because they’re pretty. One of my favorites is scarlet pimpernel, a member of the primrose family, which has tiny star-shaped orange flowers. I try to leave it alone when I find it.
Catmint and Jupiter’s beard are also attractive, and are also weeds. I wouldn’t get rid of them if I had them. Even the sorrel that pops up on my property I tolerate, because it’s limited to an area where it can’t spread too far.
But right now the weeds, even my favorites, are overwhelming. Plus I’m seeing weeds that I’ve never ever seen before, and in a vast profusion.
So right now I’m letting the weeds be, much like everyone else is, until the weather finally changes to something resembling summer. Then it will be time to weed-whack once more, and hopefully for the last time this year.
If only my plants looked as healthy as the weeds do. That would be something to cheer about.
