I love books. I love hard cover books. I am not a fan of paperback as I enjoy the feel of a hard covered book. Therefore I love to collect books of different topics. Since I love plants I collect books about botanists, herbalists, and various plants. On the shelf I found a book called WEEEDS which i bought more than 10 years ago. As a gardener I am always plucking, and pulling weeds from my gardens.
Whether it is dandelion to crabgrass - it is a weed . An invasive, pervasive and readily despised nuisance to my garden. Yet maybe these weeds have a purpose. In the same why in which Michael Pollan writes in “ Botany of Desire “ - Richard Mabey has a flare for writing.
I started to read again , WEEDS In Defense of Nature’s Most Unloved Plants by Richard Mabey. He intertwines authors and botanists as he discusses the various weeds throughout the history of the world.
I handle ‘ weeds’ differently now since re reading this book. I have a respect for these plants as each serves a purpose. Did you ever wonder why we associates veteran’s Day with the poppy ? How did poppies sprang up in battlefields after World Wars? You must read this book. It is still in print. Enrich your life by reading about plants
“ What is a weed ? A plant whose virtues have not yet been discovered .” _ Ralph Waldo Emerson
Until tomorrow…