“Weed” killing confessions

How many of us have planted a herb or something similar only to cut it out or pull it up in a moment of a lapsed memory?   Yes, I recently took out a Pecan.  Thank goodness it is sprouting again.

I thought I was doing my mom a favor by "weeding" her flower bed. I pulled up a chrysanthemum. That was not a good day. But I've never forgotten what a mum looks like!!

I garden in heavy clay. I'm so glad I've learned that in Permaculture, weeds are friendly helpers, and don't need to be exterminated (with the possible exceptions of creeping buttercup) because before that, I was *way* too good at tiring, having the blade of the hoe zig when I needed it to zag, and cutting off the very plant I was trying to help!

I've been looking at one slightly overgrown weedy bed that I'll want to plant when it warms up and wondering if I can just throw some cardboard over it to knock back the weeds enough to plant. I can remove the cardboard easily enough when planing time comes...  

Pruning grape vines off of , well, anything they are overwhelming, can lead to some real regrets.

I tried to grow some hazelnuts from the grocery store. They didn't sprout. Oh well, must have been irradiated. Threw the dirt out into a bed. Months later (maybe the next year) I was pulling weeds, didn't realize till I saw the nut at the root that was a hazel, not a maple tree. I potted it, but it didn't survive.

Hi William,

I am presently working on several old grape vines mixed with honeysuckle and raspberries.

I had little filburt/hazelnut trees I bought. I was showing my husband where I planted them, so he wouldn't mow them. He told me he didn't think he'd remember, so I started pruning out the bramble around it so it'd be obvious that this was a maintained area....and I ended up pruning the hazelnut tree to the ground!

Thankfully, it sprouted back. Now it has a tall stick next to it, waving a red string, so my husband avoids it while mowing.