Weeds ...

I've had a garden for over 5 years now, but, although I like the idea of gardens I have to admit that I am not what you would call 'green fingered': last year for instance I managed to kill mint, which I believe is quite an achievement. Until recently though I have not really attempted to grow anything in the garden - read more here on my first attempts ...

But despite my failings in this area I am remarkably good at getting weeds to grow - why is that? And why do they grow at ten times the rate of anything else? The answer to these questions, it seems to me, lies with a higher power.

I guessed the answer was hard work, so I ripped out all the weeds. To my dismay only a week later thousands of the little b*!**!s were growing up through my beautiful soil again, throwing into disarray any plans I had for planting things. What to do???

As any fully independent adult will do when faced with uncertainty, I turned at once to my parents for answers - my parents who for years have grown organically all manner of fruit and vegetables in quantities so large that they cannot even give them all away. My mother, usually so good at reassuring me, had only one piece of advice:

"Kneel down and weed out each one by hand."

She kindly followed this bombshell with the information that seeds can lie dormant in the ground for seven years!! I think I know what I'll be doing for some time to come ...