Naturally Natives A Better Way to Weed Nadia Navarrete-Tindall
by Scott Woodbury
Nature abhors a vacuum, as this chickweed takes over under native hydrangea shrubs.
Y
ou would think that pulling weeds is simple enough that
anybody can figure it out. Surely it does not require a degree to master—just grab the weed and yank it out of the ground. Many people think that it is as easy as that. Though time after time, I see new volunteers, homeowners, and interns who struggle to stay on top of recurring weed problems.
done in one session, but that’s not how weeding always happens, especially in larger gardens.
In most cases, noticeable weeds are the biggest ones that stand out like a sore thumb. It only takes a quick pass through the garden to pull those big, obvious weeds—the ones that are a foot tall or more. The ones that your neighbor can see. The ones that are getting ready One thing I’ve noticed is that people obsess over getting every weed to flower, or already are. These are the low-hanging fruit. These are out, all at once. They start hand pulling at one end of the garden, the weeds that you can pull while fetching the paper, or taking the and meticulously work through to the other side, until every weed, recycling to the curb. And what to do with those weeds after you large, medium, or small, is gone. That’s fine if you can get it all
Not all who wander are lost. Some are searching for
Missouri Wildflowers Nursery 9814 Pleasant Hill Rd Jefferson City MO 65109 www.mowildflowers.net mowldflrs@socket.net 573-496-3492
If you have purchased our native plants in the past, thank you very much. If you haven’t been a customer, here are a few things to keep in mind: We propagate almost all of our plants from seeds, instead of cuttings or divisions, because we want to keep the genetics of these plants as diverse as possible. The source of our seeds and plants can be traced to native plants growing wild in Missouri. We strive to keep them as wild as possible. Shopping at our Brazito (Jefferson City) location: The retail “store” (outdoor sales area) is open 9 to 5 year round, Monday through Friday and weekends in spring and fall as listed on our website. Pre-orders are welcome.
THE BEST NATIVE PLANTS BEGIN AT... OPEN MONDAY - SATURDAY | 8 AM - 5 PM
We can ship your order! Plants are shipped on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays all year. UPS usually delivers the next day to all of Missouri and to the middle of surrounding states. Shipping charges apply. We will be selling plants in the St. Louis area again in September and October. Watch our website and Facebook for dates.
www.mowildflowers.net
88 Forrest Keeling Lane | Elsberry, MO 63343 | 573-898-3010 | forrestkeeling.com
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The Gateway Gardener™ SUMMER 2022
