Compost Happens

Taking care of family, garden, and coffee and sharing it with the online world

>Mom’s playing in the dirt again! Weeding, reprise

Posted on June 20, 2011 by Daisy

>Finally, the plants are maturing enough that I can see what belongs and what doesn’t. That means it’s time to start weeding!

Readers, did you notice I didn’t complain? Weeding is productive and therapeutic and even enjoyable. I searched through old posts and found out that I’ve discussed the positives of weeding in the past.

Here’s one from June, 2007.

I enjoy weeding because I can see progress. My garden is divided into small sections, set apart by my stepping “stones” made from old deck and fence pieces. I set a goal of weeding one section at a time. When that’s done, I can quit weeding or choose to finish another section. This is a managable goal; I feel productive when I can see the results in one part of the plot. It spares me the frustration of not “finishing” the whole thing, which is of course an impossible goal. Today I chose one triangular section of the garden and weeded out the many mini maples that flew in from the lot behind ours. If I ever abandon this small plot of ground behind my garage, I predict the mini maples will take over, leaving room for a blanket of clover underneath. But for now, look out maples! I have garden gloves and I know how to use them.

Here’s an older post from July, 2006.

Weeding feels good because:

I can’t hear the telephone.

Digging in the dirt is fun.

It doesn’t matter if I’m all sweaty and grimy.

I can appreciate the growth of my vegetables by comparing them to the weeds I’m pulling out.

I see the little flowers that mean the plants will bear fruit — some time.

I can laugh at the tiny “stray” tomato plants that grew where the rotten fruit dropped last fall.

The science teacher in me looks at all the clover and thinks, “Wow! There’s a lot of nitrogen in this soil! Who needs fertilizer?”

I notice the little grubs and worms that aerate the rich soil; and they’re not, I said NOT, yucky.

I notice how dark and rich the soil is, thanks to our home-grown compost.

The weeds (well, most of them) will become part of the cycle of life by decomposing in the compost bin.

Progress is noticeable. Every little bit of weeding shows results.

I heard a garden expert on the radio recommend that serious gardeners spend about 30 minutes a day weeding and maintaining. I don’t come near that, so I guess I’m not “serious” by his standards. I do keep it up, though, and get my hands dirty and produce good things to eat. My garden makes me happy. Isn’t that enough?

Leave a Reply Cancel reply