As I was crouched down in the dirt for the umpteenth time this week, pulling weeds and watching for pests, it occurred to me that gardening is not for the faint of heart.

Mother Nature is a tough taskmaster. The rewards we get from beautiful blossoms and a delicious bounty are wonderful, but they only come at her mercy.

I love the peace I find in amongst the plants, and the sense of accomplishment I get from my time is manyfold. I go from planting seeds and nurturing them to enjoying the sight of blooms and fruit, the smells of fresh food and flowers and the tastes and textures unique to our little piece of the world.

But there are days when I am battle weary. Ever since we moved here, and every spring since, I’ve had to launch an offensive against my nemesis, the burdock. It brought a friend the following year—wild mallow. After 16 years of gardening here at Rabbit Hollow, I also have crab grass, chickweed, bedstraw, leafy spurge and most recently, Western salsify (like dandelions on steroids) and the nefarious bindweed.

When I was a kid, dandelions........

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