The Weeds Aren't Winning

I've been waiting for magic to happen in my garden.

The weeds have been growing as fast as the strawberry plants and I've been turning a blind eye. I guess I've just been waiting for magic to make the weeds vanish. Wishful thinking, but much more pleasant than reality.

😱

There are four rows forty feet long. 160 feet of strawberries and weeds. On the hottest day of the year this far I set myself the daunting task of weeding those rows.

I strategically chose to start with the row farthest from the fence. The center of the garden is less weedy than near the fence. Weeds are forbidden in the garden but grow unchecked outside the fence. They are always encroaching on my garden space, trying to take over a few weeds at a time. There is a constant battle along the fence to keep the weeds at bay. Too bad scarecrows don't work for weeds.

Five feet into the first row I considered a break. Ten feet in I was leaning towards quitting. As I approached the halfway point of the first row, along with my delusional thoughts of despair I wondered if I left the weeds with the plants if maybe the plants would grow faster and choke out the weeds.

Finally persistence paid off and I made it to the end of the first row. The children were napping and I was on a roll so row two was started with great enthusiasm.

There are about a dozen plants with blooms already.

Most of the plants have lots of buds in clusters like this.

The weediest rows were respectfully left untouched. We'll savor that drudgery for another day.

Finally can check this row off the list!

Soon all zeal had vanished and all that was left was a long row of weeds and my withered self. In a mechanical daze I finally reached the end.

There is a Hawthorn tree in the garden. The Hawthorn is sometimes called the fairy tree, so maybe the garden fairies will come tonight.