Klowns in my Koffee

When Voltaire wrote in Candide that "we must cultivate our garden," I doubt he had a half acre of garlic mustard. Crouching for a few hours to be able to get the roots out, I thought about the old George Burns quote: "You know you're getting old when you stoop to tie your shoelaces and wonder what else you could do while you're down there."

We removed many bags of garlic mustard. It's making it much easier to see the buckthorn, lambsquarters, thistles, burdock and stinging nettles. And whatever those scratchy, segmented weeds are that break off so you can't find the roots.

I can't wait to get rid of those, too, so that the expanse of creeping charlie is unbroken.

This is stinging nettle. This is a weed with attitude. Welts will last for a week. Some people eat these. Some people have issues.

Remember an earlier post where it was suggested that weeds were simply plants with a bad press agent? Several aching muscles in my back suggest that weeds are both evil and an excellent source of exercise. If anyone else would like to share in this wonderful physical stress, I'd be glad to send you my address. The fence gate is unlocked. Help yourself.

Somehow, knowing the names of the weeds makes the process more interesting. The U of M has the web equivalent of a post office wall of wanted weed criminals. http://www.extension.umn.edu/gardeninfo/weedid/idlist.html

On a related note, wikiHow has a good article on treating sore muscles. I recommend the baking soda bath, though I'm willing to believe that chocolate milk is a reasonable remedy because I'd like to believe it without any scientific basis whatsoever. http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Sore-Muscles-Feel-Good