Weed be Gone

It would be so easy for me to get a large bottle or can of weed killer and go around and spray the weeds on the Back Forty and in Park.  The weeds would be gone in a few days.  This would, however, result in absolutely no ground cover on my property--nothing to hold the sand in place.  My lawn is made up of such a variety of weeds and very little of actual grass.  The beauty of it is that the lawn looks very green and healthy when cut.  It blends in with the rest of the neighborhood.

Instead, I crawl around on all fours and weed by hand under the citrus trees like I did yesterday.  The roots are near the surface so I can't till the dirt too deep, but I do ever so gently pull the stubborn dollar weed that grow with a vengeance, not only under the citrus trees but everywhere.

I use the shovel to dig up pretty blue flowers with their roots leaving the lawn uneven with small indentations.  I am multitasking by weeding and aerating.  Then there are some miniature asters (my definition) that are easy to pull along with some clustered flowers with small light purple blooms.  These flowered weeds do serve a purpose by attracting bees and insects for pollination in my garden.

There is one problem that I have with hand-weeding.  I am wearing out garden gloves in no time.  I mostly use the right hand for weeding and I always develop a large gash at the top of my middle finger. I am puzzled why my thumb is intact and so are the rest of my fingers.  It is only the right middle finger. Maybe I shouldn't use it so much.

As I mentioned, I have often entertained the idea of using weed killer, but I have this sign prominently placed in the Park.  It reminds me that it is my mission to protect the wild life by providing a safe place for winged messengers, beneficial bugs and other flying critters as well as the four footed friends that come for water and shelter--a safe place for them to raise their young in an environment free of pesticides and herbicides.

===================

Tomorrow is for X in the Challenge and I am looking forward to write about gardening using that letter and illustrate with an explicit picture.  See you tomorrow!