Weeds vs Flowers

Everyone loves flowers. Even those with allergies enjoy looking at pretty blooms. And why not? They’re lovely. I enjoy them just as much as anyone. But what about the lowly weed?

In high school I took a half year of botany. One of our assignments was to make an album of pressed flowers and write about them. I went in the opposite direction. I did an album of flowering weeds. There was a wonderful lady by the name of Marie Wright who led me around a field of mostly weeds and pointed them all out with their names. I pressed them and wrote about them and got an “A” on it.

I have always considered myself a weed. I wasn’t lovely to look at. At least that was what I was always told. I was always on the outside of the circle of “flowers” and felt like an invasive plant. In the process of doing my botany assignment I discovered that many so-called weeds are in fact beneficial and sometimes lovely to look at.

I’m not going to list all the wild growing plants that are edible or can be used in a medicinal way. Go to Wikipedia for that. There’s a ton of them. I’m mainly interested in the ones that are still pretty, even if they are not wanted in a garden. I love seeing a field filled with flowering weeds in the spring. They won’t last long if you gather them up and stick them in a vase, so let them be. Enjoy them in their natural state.

I read a Bible study online many years ago based on the saying “Bloom Where You’re Planted” that warned about the invasive and ugly weeds trying to crowd you out. Here the weed was compared to sinners and others trying to keep you from the right path. I wrote to the author of the study and gave her my view of weeds, likening myself to a weed. At first glance, I am a weed, but inside I am filled with the Holy Spirit, and He makes me beautiful. So don’t automatically discount those you see as weeds. She wrote back and gave me a fluff answer that didn’t really address what I’d said at all. Basically, “Yes, God loves us all. Bless you.”

The picture at the top are some weeds that have been used in bridal bouquets. And here are two of my favorites.

Who hasn’t made clover chains??

And dandelions turn into fairy flowers that you blow into the wind for wishes!!