This adage sums up the spirit of permaculture - a way of envisioning and organizing your life to minimize work and optimize enjoyment, that can be applied to your desk drawers as well as your garden.
It's a concept that for some reason we haven't yet taken to heart - we struggle against weeds with all our might, yet the way in which we struggle creates the perfect conditions for weeds. Weeds grow well in bare, disturbed soil. We disturb the soil to get rid of weeds.
It would be interesting to take a completely opposite approach to gardening - leave the weeds until more desirable plants grow up and shade them out.
In the meantime, why not enjoy the weeds we have? So...
Two additions to my edible weed list:
Which seems to be sprouting everywhere in my garden and has tasty leaves.
It's a concept that for some reason we haven't yet taken to heart - we struggle against weeds with all our might, yet the way in which we struggle creates the perfect conditions for weeds. Weeds grow well in bare, disturbed soil. We disturb the soil to get rid of weeds.
It would be interesting to take a completely opposite approach to gardening - leave the weeds until more desirable plants grow up and shade them out.
In the meantime, why not enjoy the weeds we have? So...
Two additions to my edible weed list:
1) Land cress or hairy bittercress (Cardamine hirsuta)
Which seems to be sprouting everywhere in my garden and has tasty leaves.
Not to be confused with this fellow, thale cress (Arabidopsis thaliana), which has its calling in scientific research rather than salad.
2) Chickweed (Stellaria media)
Not very commonly eaten anymore, it used to be used for a variety of medicinal purposes, some of which are outlined here: http://www.altnature.com/gallery/chickweed.htm
It can be applied to the skin to treat itchiness and may have the properties of an antihistamine.
Either of these can be used as a garnish, in salads, as pesto, on eggs and in pasta.
Another gardening trick: because as soon as we plant our food in tidy rows, insects and deer alike line up for the buffet. Why not plant our vegetables here and there, so the deer never know what's food and what's not? Even if they find one kale, they won't find the rest. To that end, I'm leaving other plants to grow up around my collard greens, in a "confuse-a-deer" strategy. Report on whether this works coming up soon.
At any rate, what looks like a deer problem, could be a venison solution.
Chickweed.... not surprisingly, chickens love it. Both the seeds and the leaves. Very nutritious for chickens, too, I've been told.
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