When was the last time read an article on weeding? Does anyone actually enjoy it? I sort of do, as long as it doesn’t involve acres of them. To us gardeners, weeds are an “in-your-face” reminder of the “fall.” In Genesis 3: 17-18, God told Adam,
“Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life.
It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field.”
Sorry to report that in the five gardening zones I’ve lived in, the thistle is in no danger of extinction; one can only wonder how Moses left out the dandelion in Genesis.
Some of the reasons I like to weed are I love the smell of dirt, care of plants appeals to my nurturing instincts, the before-and-after result is satisfying, and any excuse to be outside works for me.
How many of your tools are for weeding? How many actually work? My most effective ones are the Hula Hoe available at most hardware stores for big areas, Eliot Coleman’s Long-handled Wire Weeder @ about $35.00 on line, and Japanese Weeder @$10.99, also on line.
When tending beds, I do what I call “tweezer weeding.” That’s just what you’re thinking, it’s going after the teensy weeds that compete with your new plants for water and food. There are some weeds like spurge that come up in what seems like overnight. Some plants people call weeds are quite beautiful. Besides my favorites, Queen Anne’s Lace and Blue flax, there is a vine call araujia (white bladder flower) that is considered a weed in California. It’s a vine with dark shiny green leaves and white flowers that look like stephanotis and smell similar to orange blossoms. It produces pods that spew out large numbers of silky, parachute-like seeds that can blow out over a large area, hence the designation as a weed. They need corralling. Anything can be a weed, if it’s coming up where it doesn’t belong.
Don’t forget to do your personal weeding in tending your garden of character. The root of bitterness can fester, hidden from all but God. The insidious vine of unforgiveness and the stubborn stalk of pride choke out many of our most important virtues and interfere with our service. What about the nasty scourges of envy and gossip? Those can ruin your testimony and cast doubt on your victory. Turn them all over the Master Gardener; use the tools of prayer, repentance and confession. He will cleanse you (1 John 1:9).
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”
The New Heavens and New Earth will undoubtedly be weed free, but until then, go ahead! Show them who’s boss!
Your gardening friend,
Marianne Farrier
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