“What is a weed? A plant whose virtues have not yet been discovered.” ― Ralph Waldo Emerson

I wanted to title this post I hate weeding, but hate seems like a harsh word to use for gardening, so I’ll just say, I really don’t enjoy weeding. Let’s just be honest, gardening is like 90 percent weeding. Let’s just call gardening what it is — weeding.

I realize some people find weeding meditative; I find it frustrating. It tests my patience. I don’t mind pulling some weeds. For instance, those long, stringy taproots that come easily out of soft dirt and run for a foot – satisfying. Or the tall weeds that come out root and all with one hard yank. I don’t enjoy all those tiny, little weeds that take over a bed early season and have to be carefully pulled with thumb and forefinger as to not cull the tiny, baby seedlings. Tedious. There’s got to be a million of those annoying little things sprouting up.

Maybe our standards are too high?

I’ve been getting away with slacking on the weeding Why? You know who doesn’t dislike weeding, yep, the Boss. He’s out there all the time, close to the ground, pulling those tiny little weeds. Our garden is immaculate, or as immaculate as it can get when one person is responsible for weeding almost 50 beds. I am appreciative. And I don’t feel guilty at all.

I don’t think the Boss is sad about me not weeding. I can’t live up to his weeding standards. My willy nilly style makes him a little crazy. I get bored part way through a bed and just give up. I weed only around the plants, leaving half the bed full of weeds. I pull weeds here and there when they are big and come out easy. Yep, slacker.

I have a few small flower beds that I am responsible for weeding. The Boss does’t touch them and it is sooooo obvious. I’ll eventually get around to it when the flowers are at risk of being choked out or when the plants get big enough that there is no risk of me yanking out something valuable with my wild weeding style.

To all the dedicated gardeners out there, enjoy your weeding. I am going to continue sponging off my husband’s gardening addiction.