Re: Invasive Plants

**A*@aol.com**

Mr. Mezitt makes a very valuable point, that garden writers must be well 
informed about any topic they offer to the public.  It is misuse of one's 
position to present only one side of any issue in today's information glut.  
It is also irresponsible not to inform oneself about all sides of any issue.  
I was on the local Conservation Commission here in town to fulfill an 
unexpired term.  The ConComm seemed to me to like crises and absolute 
decisions.  They always used the force of law to force homeowners, who came 
under their jurisdiction, to use only North American natives on their 
privately held land.  However whenever any ornamentals were to be planted on 
public property under their jurisdiction the choices were never questioned 
even though more than half were Eurasian.  They paid so little attention to 
the details of any plant they were asked about, that when they began to use 
public funds to plant street trees they used 70-80 percent Callery pear, then 
Zelkova serrata. and Ulmus parvifolia.  When you put yourself forward as 
knowledgeable or powerful it is necessary to have substantial knowledge or be 
willing to be "laughed out of town".  I think our problem of insufficient 
information is inexcusable.  It is so much easier to understand horticultural 
information than the math course I barely passed in college.  ANLA and 
similar organizations are expending a lot of time and money to gather data 
about how various plants behave in different places.  A responsible garden 
writer should be as informed as any member of the invasive plant committees 
of industry and scientific organizations.

Barbara E. Emeneau
Winchester, MA
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