This will sound crazy to many of you, but I think weeding has become one of my favorite parts of gardening. I got an early start with weeding and mulching this year, before we even hand plants in the ground, and so far they are basically under control.

That’s what makes it so much fun. When a weed pops up, it has usually traveled under quite a bit of mulch to come up in the sun, or it is new growth on a really deep tap root. So it’s like a game to see how far along under dirt a root has traveled, or just how big and deep that single root is. That’s assuming you get the root to begin with. Weeds are more than willing to sacrifice and above ground tuft if it means they survive to shoot up again.

Here’s one from today, laid out on a car hood. Compare the height of the green to the length of the root. It’s a trip to realize it’s just going to keep going. It broke off at the garden fence, so who knows how much further it went! Notice that it’s also headed in the other direction!

Of course the weeds won’t really go wild for another few weeks, so don’t be surprised if next month I’m not enjoying the weeds so much!

Then there was also this little thing, harmless and kind of pretty, yet it still set my heart racing. It froze completely still until I finally looked away to go about my business, then it was gone!

I hope it doesn’t go too far! I need all the help I can get against the critters that like to chew on my vegetables.