A good weed? by J.C. Kavanagh

The Twisted Climb

Book 1 of the award-winning Twisted Climb series

 

Is there such a thing as a good weed? 

I look in my gardens and think not. I sigh as I admire the wee flowers poking out of the newly warmed ground (in southern Ontario, the overnight temperatures are only now above zero Celsius). So this past weekend, I dived into the dirt, knees bent and arms outstretched, wishing I could strangle the weeds that are strangling my growing flowers. Aarrgh!

I ask again: is there such a thing as a good weed?

Redroot Pigweed.
Famous (?) for devastating grain crops because they produce between 10,000 and 30,000 seeds per plant. And if that isn't bad enough for your home garden,
 the seeds can lie dormant for up to 40 years.  

Yes, you know what these are.

Garlic Mustard.
Nasty rotten no-good weed.
The roots are thought to produce a toxin that contaminates the soil for adjacent flowers. 

The weeds in my garden are not good (see above). They spread like wildfire and their roots are similar to the highway system of a huge metropolis. The nerve of them to grow in my garden. I can't identify some of the weeds when they're tiny so I let them grow for a day or two and then, dang! Suddenly they're a foot tall and spreading their strangling roots. The very nerve.

And then I look at my lawn. There are yellow weeds everywhere - you know them... dandelions. Who thought of that name? They aren't dandy at all and they have no resemblance to lions. If they weren't so vivid in colour and if the bees didn't love them so much, I would have my way with them and they'd be 'dandydead.'

In my flower gardens, I tried to outsmart the weeds. I added a layer of mulch. 

The weeds laughed.

I tried adding a thicker layer of wood chips. 

The weeds laughed harder and my perennials cried for sunlight.

There's no way around it. I have to weed out the weeds. 

Weeds are like bullies. They throw their weight/roots around, striking a nerve whatever they touch. Being a bully comes naturally to Jayden, one of the main characters in The Twisted Climb series. Can she maintain that character trait while her dad encourages her inner kindness? Or will her cruel, alcoholic mother continue leading her down the 'poor-me' path. Check out the award-winning series and you be the judge. Be bully, or be nice?

In the meantime, stay safe everyone.

 

J.C. Kavanagh, author of
The Twisted Climb - Darkness Descends (Book 2)
voted BEST Young Adult Book 2018, Critters Readers Poll and Best YA Book FINALIST at The Word Guild, Canada
AND
The Twisted Climb,
voted BEST Young Adult Book 2016, P&E Readers Poll
Novels for teens, young adults and adults young at heart
Email: author.j.c.kavanagh@gmail.com
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