Ode to Weeds

A couple of weeks ago,  I spent quite a bit of time pulling weeds in my flowerbeds.  I have all kinds of excuses as to why I let it go so long, but the bottom line is I still had to pull them.  As I was doing this most unpleasant chore, I was struck by what a marvel weeds really are.  Looking at the variety of weeds we have, I noticed almost all of them spread out in a crabgrass-like fashion.  And I realized that, unlike cultivated grasses and plants, many weeds were designed to prevent erosion.  Once a weed seed gets purchase and sends roots into the soil, it spreads out like crazy over bare soil.  Imagine what the earth would look like without such plants in the wilderness:  barren, eroded hills.  Now I've developed an appreciation for the lowly weed.  I just wish it would find somewhere to grow besides my yard.