On Wed, 23 Oct 2002 23:29:46 +0100, "ned" wrote:

Indeed. Every weed is simply a natural plant which the 'arrogant'
gardener decides is spoiling the look of his/her grand plan.

That's no criticism at all. You are beating a straw man you have
erected. Gardens are by ~definition~ artificial assemblages in
which certain plants are wanted and all others unwanted.

Moreover, your definition of weed is far too broad. Most common
weeds (in common parlance) are plants found natively in sites
where the earth is continually disturbed -- a slow landslip is
one such site. That's why weeds do so well in cultivated ground.
Take humanity out of the picture, stop cultivating, and most of
these weeds would become rather rare plants because there are so
few suitable natural sites for them.

Moreover, such weeds (and most common weeds are of this class)
actually occur unnaturally, having been spread by man himself via
cultivation, both horticultural and agricultural.

Any gardener worth their salt knows perfectly well the difference
between a weed and a volunteer seedling (as likely as not of an
exotic species anyway) that has placed itself inesthetically. You
further betray your ignorance by failing to remark on the
frequency with which gardeners write about volunteer seedlings
turning out to be perfectly placed, even if not according to
plan. And to think that gardeners have some Grand Plan or Scheme?
Ludicrous: most gardens are like my own, developed piecemeal over
many years with the guiding prinicple being "I wonder what will
grow there?"

Finally, you try to tar gardeners as "arrogant". Quite the
contrary. Most gardeners are humble: they know they can't do a
lot about climate and soil, and that the plants have to thrive on
their own. You can't make a plant thrive if it doesn't want to.
All you can do is offer encouragement and good conditions and
then hope for the best.

Oh, well, I guess it doesn't hurt to set up a straw man and give
it a few whacks now and then. Heave to, my good man!


--
Rodger Whitlock
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada