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Re: One Man's Weed, another's Treasure

At 7:57 AM +1100 21-3-98, R. Beer wrote:
>[account of aunt ripping out orchids deleted]
>
>If any of you travel to Greece or Turkey, don't be surprised when you see
>none of the things we treasure from that region growing in any public
>plantings.  Those are weeds.  There, what people grow are, besides
>edible things, Jasmine, Pelargoniums, Freesias, Wisterias, and
>Basil. (I don't include Basil among the edibles because there it never
>occurs to anyone to eat it - you might as well suggest that they eat their
>philodendron.)  Out on the street the only thing native you might see is
>Olive, Russian Olive, and Pine.  Otherwise it's Jacaranda, Eucalyptus,
>Oleander.  Cistus?  Vitex?  Melia?  Forget it!
>
>Lest we seem surprised, just compare the attitude here towards Goldenrod
>with that in England, where they are popular in gardens.
>
>Bob
So true I laughed when I read your post.
Does this mean I can cancel any future trip to Greece?
We have coreopsis popping up everywhere in summer. So sunny and beautiful
No one ever plants them (nasty weeds)
You might like this quote:
"I shall go again to the overgrown plot
With my sickle, hoe, spade,
But use no weedkiller, however selective,
No chemicals, no machine.
Already the nettles, ground elder, bindweed
Spring up again.
Its a good fight as long as neither wins,
There are fruit to pick, unpoisoned,
Weeds to look at, I call them 'wildflowers'.
>From "Weeding" by Michael Hamburger 1924-. Quoted in The Oxford Book of
Garden Verse p271-2

Michael Bailes.
The Fragrant Garden, Portsmouth Road, Erina. N.S.W. 2250 Australia. (OZ)
 Int fax 61 243 651979  Phone 61 243 677322
 EMAIL: frgntgar@ozemail.com.au
  Web page at: http://www.ozemail.com.au/~frgntgar/
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