I’ve been out pulling weeds. Had I started this in March, it might have been easier, but now Bermuda grass has invaded the area that I chose to turn into a rose and perennial garden a decade ago.
Interesting, the grass from my neighbor’s yard is St. Augustine, and there is no Bermuda until you reach the other end of the garden, which is 60 feet away. Remnants of Bermuda are easily reborn.
It’s a hardy grass with deep and long roots, and it sends out long runners, so it spreads quickly. When I stay on top of this task as well as mulching and fertilizing, it doesn’t take that long to weed, and it’s a good meditative, grounding task. I do a lot of good thinking when I’m gardening.
Maintaining Helps
I haven’t kept up with it this year, so it isn’t as much meditative as really hard work at the moment. It’s also May in Texas, so it’s hot and sweaty work even early in the morning. Yet the results will be worth it, and the bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds (as well as my neighbors) love it.
Why didn’t I start sooner? Take your pick: Busy. Other priorities. Weather didn’t cooperate when I felt I had the time, space, and energy to work on it. All true.
Also all applicable to a lot more than weeds in my flower bed, isn’t it?
Invasive Nature of Mental and Emotional Weeds
Mental weeds and grasses are just as easily spread, and their invasive nature can keep us stuck for years. Even when we think we’ve eradicated a negative thought – old memories can bring them back if we let them.
Emotional eating is driven by something – could be stress, anxiety, trauma, bad memories, and such, but it can also be driven by where we allow our mind to wander with these invasive elements.
I say “invasive” because they don’t belong there. Perhaps they crashed in, but most have crept in so quietly, and we’ve not immediately responded to the threat. So they creep a bit farther, and perhaps take over whole sections of our thoughts, habits, and feelings, eventually crowding out the good and beautiful things we wanted there. Would have been easier to pull them before they established themselves, but it’s not too late. It may be hard work, but the effort will be well worth it. We have the whole summer ahead of us if you’d like to join the challenge.
What thoughts and habits would you like to get rid of?
