Bloom where you are planted

My dad has a gardening theory: I never water anything. I never plant anything. I only practice “selective extermination”.

Far gone are the days when he tried to transform his boring backyard grass into a natural woodland. Now dad’s efforts outdoors are confined to fending off mosquitoes and pulling out things that are growing where they shouldn’t. Like nose hairs, and “weeds”.

(above photo of our daughter’s cat, “Weeds”)  Remove any weeds like this that infest your garden before they make you lose your concentration.

He has a lot of “volunteer” plants. So many, that to keep a “path” to the shed and to the gate he has to clear vegetation that is trying to establish itself anywhere it can. He truly does nothing except run the mower occasionally to use it to vacuum up the leaf debris, as there is not any grass left.

(above) the “chickaloo” was allowed to overgrow with morning glory vines

I would be lying if I didn’t admit that I covet my father’s lack of grass. I saw a yard once that was nothing but a winding maze of paths interconnecting beautiful beds of flowers, arbors, patios, decks, and a gazebo. There was one grassy area about room-sized kept as a carpet for the hammock.

ageratum is considered a weed but I encourage it when it pops up

My dad’s yard is nothing like this. More like barely contained chaos, where native plants thrive.  Many of my own gardens were started with transplants unceremoniously yanked from Dad’s yard. “Selective extermination” but with a new chance to thrive. It is the plant version of reincarnation.

(above) This wisteria was transplanted from a root Dad tossed at me to throw in the trash.

Horticulturally, a weed is any plant at all which is growing where the gardener does not want it, and didn’t plant it.

Some are obnoxious allergen-inducing and horrible, like ragweed, but even pretty, desirable plants can be weeds. So daisies growing in the tomato garden? Weeds. Tomatoes growing in the rose garden? Weeds.

( above) “Sweet Autumn Clematis” has no business in this border of liriope, but it is too lovely to kill

Anything can be a weed if it is unwanted.  It becomes a “transplant” if , once evicted from its improper area, it is then planted somewhere else. If it can become “invasive” then that beautiful transplant can quickly occupy a lot of time as it becomes necessary to “exterminate” the suckers, seedlings, and volunteers that appear.

(above) The hackberry tree on the right was a volunteer. It was a twig only a foot tall when we moved in, and considered a “trash tree” by gardeners.

It’s hard enough keeping plants happy with the crazy weather in our state. It seems a pity to kill an organism that has planted itself, and is thriving. But I have to do it every day. I always feel a twinge of guilt for pulling out a healthy plant that seemed happy in its location.  A rare few I allow to continue where they are.

(above) you can see the morning glories twining up the sunflowers planted by cardinals and not by me. They are pretty anyway.

Many “weeds” pulled from my dad’s yard became favored specimen plants in mine. This applies to people as well.

If you are feeling unappreciated and unable to thrive, transplant yourself to a different environment!

all photos by Morgan Williams

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