Something I’ve Neglected

From afar the garden doesn’t look too bad and fairly typical of a garden in December. Dead branches, bare bushes, and fading perennials are all common this time of year. But there is something in these garden areas that I’m disappointed in and it’s my fault…weeds! The winter weeds are creeping into every garden all because of my lack of attention. My excuse is that my mind has been on other areas – greenhouse construction – but really I’ve had a few moments I could have done something. My other excuse is the weather – it’s cold – well really today was very cold but I’ve had other opportunities to get a little done in the garden.  It doesn’t take much to keep my garden in check but it takes a whole lot more when I let it go too far. The gardens are all fairly close to the house except for the gardens by the greenhouse but those haven’t been established yet.

Here you can see a small island garden with a viburnum, two ponytail grasses, a statuesque standing stone and the birdbath garden is behind it all. The stone pathway is disappearing below the top level of the grass – I still haven’t accomplished my final mowing. Maybe I’ll mow in January…

The pathway leads over to our patio on the other side of the deck and passes by the birdbath garden. Again, from a distance it’s not so bad. Grasses are creeping into the edges of the beds that are lined with stone.

But when we look close we can see it all. One of the most annoying weeds of winter – chickweed! It’s not the only weed in this picture but it’s there – front and center. It’s easy to pull and remove from the garden but if you let it go over the winter without removing it it will take over. It’s appeared in every garden just taunting me to get out there and remove it! One of these days…

..but for now it’s too cold…and I have a greenhouse to finish!

Have you put off any garden chores because of the cold?

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8 thoughts on “Something I’ve Neglected”

  1. Dear Dave
    That pathway is exactly what I have planned for both sides of the front to back of my house .. free style and natural looking .. it is perfect !
    I don't have weeds to worry about now when the snow and ice are covering them ? LOL
    Good luck with your work schedule and projects !
    Joy

  2. I've decided that since chickweed is so prevalent in my beds, I'm just going to leave it til spring. As I plant out my wintersown babies, I'll pull weeds and undesirables to make room for all the new plants. I'm telling myself that protecting the soil over the winter, where we get cold but not a lot of snow cover, is more important than weeding out a few green patches. It's my story. I'm sticking to it.

  3. Dave, With thoughts of a warm greenhouse filling your head…I can see how getting outside in the cold would not be in your plans! gail ps Chickweed adds a bit of green to my brown garden;)

  4. Ha, you only think your weeds are bad, you should see ours, Dave! But at least chickweed is edible (and easy to pull). True, we've never worked up the nerve to actually put it in our salads, but it's supposedly good and a bit lemony. Instead, we give it to—guess who?!—our chickens!!!

  5. Randy,

    You're right it's not so bad unless you have a ton of it! It's been much worse around here and hopefully won't be ever again. I really dislike it when it gets in the yard and blocks the light from the grass. Which leaves dead spots when the chickweed dies back.

    Joy,

    If I had the snow I might have yet another excuse!

    Darla,

    Thanks but chickweed is no laughing matter… 😉

    Tom,

    Good luck with that Tom! Just get it before it goes to seed or you will get the pleasure of that ground cover each year!

    Gail,

    Green it is for sure! If only it were more tame I wouldn't mind it.

    OFB,

    Alas I have no chickens for chickweed! Oh well I'll just have to compost it! I may have to try it sometime…we'll see!

    Lola,

    I think a how would be the best method. I've seen a tool that uses a long pole and a twisted wire piece at the bottom that you can wrap the weed up in like cotton candy. I don't know it's name but it might work OK. The hoe should do fine though.

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