National Weed Appreciation Day

Weeds are flowers too, once you get to know them.

A. A. Milne

Is there anything more aggravating then working in your garden and finding yet another sprouting of weeds after you thought you got them all? Seriously, weeds are just so incredibly annoying and you’re right to rip them out. Then afterwards you can sit on your porch and enjoy the dandelions that grow in your front yard, their bright yellow eyes turned to the sun. National Weed Appreciation Day reminds you that those dandelions are weeds too, along with numerous other plants that you don’t mind growing in the yard.

History of National Weed Appreciation Day

National Weed Appreciation Day was established to remind people that a weed is just a plant growing where you don’t want it to grow. Blackberries are fantastic when you find them growing wild in the forest, but are perhaps less desirable when you find them growing in the middle of your rhododendron bushes. That’s basically the details of what makes a weed a weed, and there are hundreds of ‘weeds’ that are incredibly important in health, science, and culinary uses. After all, dandelion wine isn’t just a pretty name!

There’s also chickweed, which believe it or not is actually quite tasty and packed with vitamins, but most people just rip them out and throw them in the compost bin or burn them. Chicory is often considered to be a weed as well, though it’s a pretty little plant with bright blue flowers, but it’s a hugely popular drink in the south, especially in Louisiana. Certainly it’s the roots, but still, weeds are weeds only if you don’t want them where you find them!

National Weed Appreciation Day reminds you to get out there and really look at your yard, and find out if perhaps what you once thought of us as a weed, is actually a wonderful new surprise living in your lawn.

How to celebrate National Weed Appreciation Day

Take a really close look at your yard, get right in there and really look at those weeds before you pull them from the lawn or the yard. In fact, take out your phone and take a picture, then go inside and use those pictures to look up the plants you found in the yard online! You may find out all sorts of fun information about what’s growing in your yard, and even if you still want it out of there, you’ll at least know what you’re removing!