A Weed By Any Other Name

"The only difference between a weed and a flower ... is a judgement."

Wayne Dyer

I have always loved this quote by one of the most important teachers in my life. I remember back when I first took up gardening in my mid-40's, I blindly followed what I had seen everyone else do: if something was growing where I didn't want it to grow, it was a weed and I should pull it out. This was especially true of dandelions. I was warned how invasive they were and that they would take over my entire garden if I didn't yank them out by the roots, and to make sure I did it before their yellow heads turned white and fluffy. That was when their seeds would appear and be carried by the wind all over the place to start yet another new generation of weeds.

The more I got into studying gardening, which was about the same time I started really getting in to sustainable living, I came to have a whole new appreciate for dandelions. Every part of the plant was useful, from salads, to stews and soups, and even medicinal teas. The fact that a field of sweet yellow heads popping up surrounded by an ocean of green might be a feast for the eyes was never acknowledged by my fellow gardeners. nor the happiness a small child gets from making a wish and blowing the little white froths into the air. All they were concerned with was the state of their lawns which I have come to believe is a huge waste of land and water ... think of how much food you could grow where that useless carpet now lays? 

Perspective is everything. What something means to you, how it affects you on every level, is the criteria for how you accept it or not. Our current situation certainly feels like a giant field of weeds for sure, but if we dig a little deeper, what benefits might we find? Perhaps a reassessment of how we live, what's truly important vs what we thought was important because society told us it was? Maybe thinking about downsizing or becoming a budding minimalist? Certainly learning the importance of spending less time doing things we feel we have to do and more time doing what brings us joy ... like making a wish and blowing it into the wind? Or spending more quality time with those we love?

I have been giving my living conditions another look to see how I might be able to incorporate some more houseplants in a space that doesn't get direct light and where little furry paws can't play kitty salad bar with them. It might not be the garden of my dreams, but even a tiny green space could grow herbs and plants. Gee, I wonder if you can grow dandelions on purpose?

And so it is.