Weeds weeds weeds ...

I have to admit to a rather unhealthy obsession with weeding.

Of course, weeding is almost vital around small seedlings and young plants but larger plants are normally strong enough to fight the weeds off. But I think I have been reading too many gardening books or watched too much Gardener's World and I want neat lines of vegs and weed free beds ...

Since the beginning of spring, I weed, hoe and mulch to try and keep the weeds at bay, a war most gardeners know too well. And this year, I was doing well, keeping on top of the new growth. That was until we went on holidays. As soon as my back was turned, the weeds started growing as if their life depended on it (well it does actually...) and I came back to a seriously weedy plot. A friend of my plot neighbour asked me if I enjoyed growing weeds. I felt like crying! The thing is, my plot is actually tidier than most but I am a control freak. So I have spent the last few weeks weeding with a vengeance.

But this weekend, I realised this was becoming seriously unhealthy. On saturday morning I drew up a list of things to do on the plot, a rather long list from which I purposedly left out weeding. When I got back home on saturday night, I could not cross a single thing on that list. I have now a weed free allotment but I have to realise that it is not what's going to feed me through the coming months !!!

So next year, I'm going to try and chill on the weed front, grow things through weed suppressant membranes, mulch as much as possible and undersow larger plants with flowers or green manures. And maybe I'll get my life back!