Malva sylvestris | Photos by the writer
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.