Large Piece of Turf
1503 watercolor painting by Albrecht Durer
Since I was young I have always been fascinated by weeds. Their shapes, colors, textures, blooms, seeds, and habits were part of my interest in these warriors, survivors, and necessary purveyors of providing life for life.
Born at the end of WWII, I was thrust into the newly emerging chemical war upon weeds. With the chemical tools of fighting one war, WWII, corporate America rolled over those chemical tools to fight a new war -- a war against weeds (and other wild life). Profits were its motive.
These chemicals not only killed weeds, good and bad ones in one fell swoop, but also song birds, aquatic life, sickened humans, and fouled our water.
We were sold a bill of goods about the chemicals.
Richard Mabey, a nature writer, a few years back wrote a book titled, weeds -- in defense of nature's most unloved plants. He points out that weeds are essential to life and in our world's future might be all we have left in a much diminished natural planet. If you would like to visit his home page on Amazon click here
