Previous Challenge Entry (Level 3 - Advanced)
Topic: Garden (09/07/06)
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TITLE: In Defense of Weeds | Previous Challenge Entry
By Rebecca Livermore
09/08/06 -
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ADD TO MY FAVORITES
I’ve never understood that. Why spend time and money desperately trying to kill such amazing works of God’s creation?
Take, for example, dandelions. What isn’t there to love about dandelions? They bear cheerful yellow flowers, their leaves are edible and nutritious, and children and adults alike love blowing their nice big seedy balls of fluff. They are one of my favorites! Every time I see someone blow the seeds, I rejoice, knowing that as the seeds scatter, the dandelion population in my garden will increase. How wonderful!
Burdock is wonderfully useful. Besides its medicinal properties, it also helps to fertilize the soil, thus encouraging the development of all the other weeds.
And have you ever considered the virtues of milkweed? It is useful in absolutely every stage of growth! Regardless of its level of maturity, it can be used medicinally, and in some stages it is useful for food also. Next time you develop athlete’s foot, or have a wart to remove, you might want to thank God for His thoughtfulness in creating milkweed.
The best thing about weeds is that they are low maintenance. Weeds don’t demand pampering, and they don’t threaten to wilt if you don’t pay enough attention to them. If you go on vacation, when you return home, you will find that not only did the weeds survive, they flourished! Can you say the same of your carefully chosen, high-priced flowers? Of course not! Weeds are obviously superior; they have a strength that more “noble” plants can only envy. I’d rather cultivate nice hearty weeds than, say, pansies, any day.
Of course, I don’t want to run the risk of having a lawsuit filed against me, so I do feel compelled to provide one word of warning. There are some dangerous weeds, with documented criminal records. Such weeds should be considered armed and dangerous. For instance, we’ve all heard of hemlock, a notoriously shady character. He has a rap sheet that’s longer than a sunflower is tall. No one should allow such a killer to grow rampant in their weed patch. Being the responsible plot of land that I am, I kill hemlock before it has a chance to kill anyone else. I would advise you to do the same.
All in all, in spite of the few dangerous weeds, I encourage you to embrace diversity. Dare to be different! Don’t be afraid to speak out on behalf of weeds! After all, can you imagine the transformation that will take place in gardens around the world if we allow weeds and flowers to bud together in harmony?
Dreaming about combining weeds and flowers is one thing; having the courage to do it is an entirely different matter. I know that transformation isn’t easy, but I’m here to help. Feel free to take some of my weeds to use as starter weeds in your garden. Take as many as you’d like, without worry; they’ll soon reproduce, and no one will ever know that my garden had been ravaged.
In exchange for the weeds I’m willing to freely offer, could you do me one small favor? Before you leave, would you mind blowing that nice, full, ball of dandelion seeds? I can’t wait to see how many cheerful yellow flowers and nutritious leaves will result from that one humble plant!
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