Weeds weeding (& Darwin).

20/10/2013

Wie, net als ik, de rustgevende sfeer van een Japanse tuin nastreeft, moet netjes zijn. Zo netjes als in de tuin van het Adachi museum is niet nodig. Dat is enkel voor de ware perfectionist. Maar regelmatig wieden is wel vereist.

Als je te rigoureus wiedt, wordt de tuin snel stijf en onnatuurlijk. Volgens mij is iedere tuin, zelfs een Japanse tuin, gebaat bij ‘creative weeding’. Sommige ‘free spirited plants’, zoals sommigen ze noemen, mogen blijven staan.

Varens, mansoor (Asarum) en Japanse esdoorns, bijvoorbeeld, zijn welkom. Anderen zijn misschien minder gewenst.

Ik kocht het boek ‘Weeds weeding (& Darwin)’ om spontane zaailingen in een vroeg stadium te leren herkennen.

Het boek bespreekt 100 veel voorkomende opdringerige planten. Van elke plant wordt verteld hoe en waar het groeit, hoe het zich verspreidt en hoe het kan worden bestreden. Daarnaast bevat het boek leuke anekdotes over Darwin. Er is ook nog een apart hoofdstuk met 20 manieren om onkruid te wieden en een apart hoofdstuk over Darwin in zijn tuin.

Op de voorflap staat dat het boek helpt om onkruid te herkennen, begrijpen en bestrijden. Maar aan de hand van de foto’s, tekeningen en beschrijvingen in dit boek kan ik veel kleine zaailingen in mijn tuin niet herkennen.

Geen idee wat dit allemaal is.

Toch heb ik geen spijt dat ik dit boek heb gekocht. Want het is een heel prettig en interessant boek. Geen glossy boek met flitsende foto’s. Maar aangenaam om te lezen. Met papier dat aangenaam ruikt en voelt en veel foto’s en tekeningen. Echt een boek om blij van te worden. En voor mensen die wel volwassen onkruid in de tuin hebben, is het een heel nuttig boek.

NB: Voor andere tuinboek besprekingen, verwijs ik naar de meme van Roses and Other Gardening Joys.

22 Comments

Holleygarden link

20/10/2013 16:34:27

Yes, I grow many weeds in my garden! They can be very frustrating, but occasionally I let some of the wayward seedlings grow (like dianthus in the gravel). I have always been an aggressive weeder, and sometimes I weed out my ornamentals. I really need to be able to figure out which is a weed, and which is a desirable plant. I think I need this book! Thanks so much for joining in!

Denise

22/10/2013 10:22:09

My pleasure Holley. I am happy I purchased this book. Your monthly book review encourages me to read interesting gardening books. Thank you for that.

debsgarden link

20/10/2013 21:32:53

There is no way I can get all the weeds, nor would I want to. But there are plenty to pull, and I usually grab a few every time I stroll through my garden. I know the names of the ones I keep such as oxalis and butterweed, but I often wish I knew the names of the undesirables.

20/10/2013 21:36:32

OOPS! Some of that got scrambled! It was supposed to read "I know the names of the ones I keep such as oxalis and butterweed"

20/10/2013 21:39:44

So sorry. Something scrambled my words again. Do I dare try to correct it to read oxalis and butter weed again?

21/10/2013 09:15:01

It seems Google Translate scrambles your plant names. It does that a lot. It also scrambles the name of the book. If you select 'show original' in de Translate bar, you will see that everything is oké. So no need to apologize, Deb!

patty link

21/10/2013 16:28:43

Looks like an interesting book Denise. I should get to know my weeds as well as some of my favorite plants, I have so many of them.

Denise link

22/10/2013 10:31:51

It is a very interesting book Patty. I learned so much from it. About weeds and about Darwin.

Dorothy link

22/10/2013 00:38:32

That would be a very interesting book to have. Sometimes I have problems distinguishing the weeds from the new flower seedlings!

22/10/2013 10:57:52

I have the same problem Dorothy. The book doesn't really solve that problem. But maybe we need a 'seedling identification guide' instead of a 'weed Identification guide'. I learned from the book that any plant with strong survival skills can be a weed somewhere in the world.

Diana Studer link

22/10/2013 18:03:20

thank you ... I'm collecting free spirited volunteers. Sometimes I must be patient, wait until it grows a little larger- to show itself worth rescuing, or sacrificing. Looking out for wild sage seedlings.

23/10/2013 11:06:58

Wild sage growing in the weeds?

6/11/2013 15:19:18

among the weeds are wild sage volunteers.
About the Vondeling wine?
http://www.vondelingwines.co.za/our_wines.php
Cura is the one specifically for WESSA, but any of their wines would gratefully support the Biodiversity and Wine Initiative.

Donna link

23/10/2013 18:15:39

I rarely can tell most weeds when so tiny too. A book like that would be a great help for those weeds less rampant in the garden.

3/11/2013 11:33:29

The book is also a great help when buying plants, Donna. When a plant label mentions 'self seeding' or 'spreads through roots or rhizomes' it is probably an invasive plant and mentioned in this book.

4/11/2013 10:21:33

It is like when realtors say a house is cozy, that means small and a hovel. I always like when books describe plants as self seeding. They rarely say that they pop up everywhere and can be a persistent problem. BTW. I answered your question on shooting the leaves. Just a few simple things mentioned, but you could stage these shots too.

Sue link

24/10/2013 14:30:03

We have lots of weeds in our new garden. Much of our time is spent in removing them. The book sounds like a pleasant read. Thank you for the link to Darwin's garden, it was very interesting.

3/11/2013 11:46:26

You are welcome Sue. This book is a pleasant read. I think I will often reread parts of it. The chapter 'Twenty ways to weed' must be very useful for someone with in new garden full of weed, like yours. The twenty aproaches vary from 'hoe'', 'mow' or 'burn', to 'leave be''.

Indie link

31/10/2013 19:50:21

I do hate not knowing if a plant is a garden plant or a weed! Very often I have nurtured a weed into an impressive looking plant before I have figured out the truth! Well, the more we garden, the more we learn. Sounds like a good book for figuring out the more common weeds - at least, past seedling stage!

3/11/2013 11:53:51

Funny, that sometimes happens to me too, Indie.

catmint link

3/11/2013 04:46:11

sounds fascinating book. But is it published in England, related to European conditions? Because weeds in one place may be OK in another. But still I will put it on my to - read list because it sounds so interesting. And I want to read the bit about Darwin in his garden. So thanks for the review, Denise.

3/11/2013 12:10:03

I think the book is useful all over the world, Sue. It mentions plants that are welcome in one part of the world and less so in other parts. For example Berberis darwinii. According to the book that plant is an enjoyable native plant in Chile, an enjoyable handsome garden shrub in Europe but an unwanted organism in New Zealand.

Weeds weeding (& Darwin).

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