Sara Stein
My Weeds (1988)
I could not agree with this quote more than right now. I have been battling weeds all summer and they seem to be winning. The biggest pain by far has to be the sheep sorrel. 
It has obviously decided my backyard is a nice place to settle down for it has sunken its roots into every nook and cranny of my garden. And those runners that it has! I do not know how I will ever be able to eradicate this one.
I am also plagued by what I just recently identified as common catsear. It too has claimed the backyard (and front but let’s not go there yet) as its breeding ground. Then there is this other weed that is trying to out do the previous two. I have not a clue as to what this particular weed is but it is beginning to appear all over the garden this year for some reason. If I were smart I would take pictures of it before I attack it but I always think of that after the fact.
There are a few dandelions here and there but nothing has got me on my hands and knees weeding and weeding like the sheep sorrel and common catsear. They really are everywhere right now. What does not help me is the fact that we are in a more rural area that receives high winds. There are days when I can literally see the weed seeds flying into the garden. It makes me want to run outside and shout to the wind, “Will you please stop that?! Can’t you see you have done enough already!”
Are any readers out there fighting a never ending battle with weeds? If so, what weeds are striving for dominance in your garden right now? I have never waged war on weeds like I have had to this year.
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
Common burmuda grass is the bane of my existence.
I apologize to anyone out there that has it for a lawn and likes it but burmuda grass is a bad word to gardeners! I pity you Deb.
-Cindy
If you saw my garden I’m sure you’d feel much better about yours. In years’ past, I said it was a weed garden with a few flowers. And, unfortunately, since weeds were able to get established, my garden is now chock full of weed seeds. I’ll be fighting weeds for years to come, even without the help of the winds. I don’t know about you, but I always feel a little bit better when I know the name of the weeds I’m battling.
In my garden I have yellow nut sedge making an appearance. Several types of weed grasses are my main problem.
I love that quote, btw!
Isn’t that quote just so true! I am with you, I like to know the name of what I am dealing with. The common catsear was driving me crazy as I did not know what it was. In a way it looks a lot like sow thistle. This other weed is now driving me crazy because I do not know what it is. GRRRR.
Yellow nut sedge is bad, bad, bad. Another nightmare weed if you ask me. At least we are in this war together!
-Cindy
I have a problem with grasses such as bermuda & crab that somehow end up in my garden even though they aren’t in my lawn. Hmmm…. Dandelions are a common problem too, but not as bad this year. The big one is Four o’ clocks, I let them go to seed last year (bad!) and they are popping up everywhere including the lawn.
I have never grown Four o’clocks so I did not know they could turn weedy until I read your post on them. Sounds a lot like my dealings with borage. Crab grass is another hard to deal with weed that I have bad memories from with my past garden(s). -Cindy
I read somewhere that if no more weeds ever went to seed, there are enough in the top soil to sprout for 100 years. Might as well get to know them by name. It seems a little friendlier somehow. I have some I still haven’t identified after all these years and each year I wonder who they are.
Wow 100 years, they are persistent! I think I am having so many problems with this new weed that I can’t seem to id because of us recently tilling a new veggie bed. It is amazing how many years weed seeds can lay dormant in the soil waiting for us gardeners to come along and till them to the surface where they can germinate! -Cindy
I hated crab grass in my old yard (still don’t want any in my gardens either), but I’m thinking it might be kind of nice to have SOME kind of grass in my yard. I’m tired of all the rocks and sand. So much work, so little time.
Weeds are a pain though. I really should go out and do some weeding myself since it’s so nice out…. I don’t know the names of any of my weeds yet, but I’m sure I’ll get to know them very soon.
Crab grass can make one quite crabby can’t it. I’m sure you will get to know them better than you would like to.
Isn’t it true what Gardening by Mistake said about feeling a little better when you actually know the weeds you are doing battle with. I can’t stand not knowing what I am weeding out! -Cindy