Sometimes it seems that no matter how much dedication and hard work you spend on your garden it is the weeds that thrive rather than the flowers, vegetables or herbs you are trying to grow and — as with all things — there is a reason for this.

Weeds are simply indigenous plants which have decided to grow in places they are not appreciated. They have evolved over thousands of years and their in-built, naturally updating genes are perfectly in tune with localised soil and climatic conditions. They have even developed either resistance or a high level of tolerance to localised pests and diseases. In many cases, weed seeds can lay dormant in the soil for years, just waiting for the day when a combination of temperatures and humidity/rain provide perfect growing conditions, and then, seemingly overnight, they spring to life and launch their latest garden takeover attempt.

Nothing short of miraculous as they are though — a simple dandelion plant can push up straight through a tarmac road if it so decides — weeds are, quite wrongly, reviled by the majority of gardeners world over when, in actuality, to know weeds is to respect and, in some cases, even love them.

Weeds are not the horrible invaders they are made out to be. Many can be used as food once they have been identified by an expert

Modern day plants, be these edible or otherwise, are all descended from the wild plants we collectively call weeds. Whether they decide to pop up in our gardens or growing and thriving in a forest, we admire them as being an integral part of nature and it’s all a matter of place.

If you learn how to identify your garden weeds and then look into their individual properties, it should come as no surprise to discover that a high percentage of them have medicinal, edible and other profitable uses. The fact that they personally chose to grow in our gardens, sometimes in extremely adverse circumstances, is an unparalleled gift.

Here are just a few of the common weeds found in Pakistani gardens varying from locality to locality. Some are deliciously edible and survive climatic challenges when their cultivated relatives surrender and die.

Malva sylvestris is common throughout the Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, parts of Balochistan, northern Sindh and Northern Areas. Capable of reaching a height of three to four feet, this long-lived perennial has attractive mauve flowers with darker purple-red markings from spring into summer. The leaves can be cooked as vegetables and the seed pods are the main ingredient of Egyptian melokhia soup. The seeds are sold as flower seeds for borders in Europe and the plants make a good addition to flower gardens here too.

Portulaca oleracea or Purslane is common throughout the country over spring, summer and on into the autumn months. Actually a succulent with fleshy leaves and longish, spreading, juicy stems, this plant is surprisingly drought tolerant but is nicer to eat when it has been watered or rained on. High in omega-3 fatty acid, young plant parts (stems, leaves and tiny yellow flowers) can be eaten raw or cooked. Cooking it — it’s a great spinach substitute — reduces the amount of oxalic acid it contains by about 50 percent, reducing any sourness in the process. Moreover, it is an excellent addition to omelettes. It should not be confused with Portulaca grandiflora which is a purely ornamental species indigenous to South America and widely cultivated for its brightly coloured summer flowers and commonly called ‘Desert rose’.

Stellaria media or ‘Chickweed’ is an annual plant of irrigated or damp places. It can be eaten raw in salads and sandwiches or lightly cooked, added to stir fries and is a good vegetable juice ingredient.

Cardamine hirsuta or Bittercress grows over the cooler months of the year in the plains and coastal regions and from spring to summer in cooler upland regions. This annual member of the cress family is delicious in small doses. Young leaves have a spicy tangy flavour while the old leaves are very bitter and best ignored. The young leaves are said to have blood cleansing properties and make an interesting salad ingredient.

Taraxacum officinale or ‘Dandelion’ is common perennial in Punjab and northwards. It often appears in gardens, lawns and brightens roadsides with its well-known, golden flower heads in spring. Young leaves can be eaten cooked or raw and the roots (dug up in late autumn) are roasted then ground into a coffee substitute. The plant has numerous medicinal uses.

Chenopodium or ‘Goosefoot’: Common and very determined to survive, this annual, along with Atriplex deserves plenty of space to flourish. Indispensable in the kitchen, this annual can be eaten in salads but is best cooked just like spinach.

Atriplex or ‘Orach’ is exactly the same as Chenopodium ... between them, this pair is priceless.

Warning: Do not eat, self medicate or otherwise use any plant or plant parts unless its identity has been confirmed by a qualified expert.

Please continue sending your gardening queries to zahrahnasir@hotmail.com. It is important to include your location. The writer does not respond directly by email. Emails with attachments will not be opened.

Published in Dawn, EOS, October 29th, 2017