Why not weeds?
Well, why not?
I’ve been thinking about this for a few days before I even saw this wonderful post from Zanthan Gardens:
http://www.zanthan.com/gardens/gardenlog/?p=2340
My budget is very tight this year (buying a trailer & moving, contractors, and even a few fruit trees & a berry patch have wiped my spending money clean out).
And I’d like to concentrate what gardening budget I will have again in some months on food production in my not yet set up raised beds.
Even if that weren’t true, why not weeds?
A weed is more often than not just a useful plant that happens to be where we’d like to have some other kind of plant.
But with my scant knowledge of permaculture, I lean toward wanting native bio diversity built on disturbing the soil as little as possible. I’d rather take the slow route of building my soil up with good organic compost, nematodes & encouraging local fauna to utilize my plot.
I’m not opposed to native prairie grass & flowers and even dandelions in my back yard since they bring bees & other beneficial bugs that are good for my garden, ‘tho I’ll happily yank them out when they start intruding on my food producers.
Actually I’m more distressed by those non native invasives: Bermuda & St. Augustine grass. 
So seriously: why not weeds?
& speaking of food gardening, Gristmill blog posted a critique of Bruce Sterling’s critical view of slow food as elitist. It’s well worth reading:
http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2008/3/29/84737/8211
Far from being an elitist, I see myself as supporting my food producing neighbors and making it more possible for people to have access to healthy real food at an affordable price. The cost of tomatoes at your local farm market is probably less than you might think. The cost to you of tax subsidies to big Ag. and health care needs of a society poisoned by the bad nutrition that big Ag. fosters is enormous.
Having said that, there’s also the intangible benefits of slow food. It’s pleasing to all the senses, not just taste. It encourages us to meet and talk with our neighbors. I’m eagerly awaiting the opening of the Pflugerville Farmers Market in a month!
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Garden Girl on March 31st, 2008 | File Under slow food, green, locavore, victory garden | -
March 31st, 2008 at 5:34 pm
I have had fresh milkweed pods as a cooked veggie. Not bad in taste if one prepares them properly.
I once knew a guy who gathered up leafy green weed leaves and made salads.
Some plants are not exactly weeds, but they make wonderful green manure when rototilled back into the soil. Buckweet has these amazing tap roots which break up really hard subsoil, so one can plant root crops like carrots or potatoes next year. And for those who still eat grains, buckwheat makes yummy pancakes.
Sunflowers can be planted near the road. They remove air pollution from passing cars. I would not eat sunflower seeds grown near the road, but bees like them and they look nice.
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March 31st, 2008 at 5:53 pm
Yep & dandelion greens are high in vitamin A, vitamin C, beta-carotene and iron, carrying more iron and calcium than spinach. Not to mention dandelion tea & wine
Nature covers disturbed soil with weeds like a band-aid– a quick growing cover of bio-mass. Heal the soil by feeding it right & after a few years, other kinds of plants strive successfully with the weeds. Or so my perma culture books tell me.
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April 1st, 2008 at 7:01 am
Thanks for stopping by Zanthan Gardens and for the shout-out here. It’s always great to learn of another Austin garden blogger.
Did you know that this Saturday we are having a big informal gathering of garden bloggers, the Spring Fling”? Although the RSVP date has passed, you might still be able to come. I know we had one cancelation. Let me know if you’re interested.
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April 1st, 2008 at 2:20 pm
Thanks so much for the invite. I don’t think I’ll be able to make it this year, but hopefully in future *crosses fingers*.
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