The Value of Weeds

Cliff, a self-proclaimed “untidy gardener” who runs a farm in Victoria, Australia, makes a passionate case for the value and versatility of weeds. “Weeds,” she writes, “are rascals, sometimes villains,” but they also have positive qualities such as “contributing biomass, healing the scars we inflict on the earth, and giving us food and medicine.” Cliff explores each of the ways weeds can be useful, delving into biodiversity and describing the benefits of cultivating goosefoot, for example, which has nutritional value. She admits that weeds such as sow thistle need to be controlled, but she is very convincing about the value of weeds for wildlife (they provide nectar and pollen for insects) and in water, where they provide oxygen and food for pond life. She identifies certain types of weeds as potential sources of vegetable dyes in a section about other uses for weeds, and even offers recipes such as dandelion flower wine and crab-apple jelly. Cliff fills her book with advice for growing and containing weeds, advice, and photographs, along with fun facts (lucerne roots can descend 40 ft.) and stories from life on the farm. Gardeners and anyone interested in horticulture will find that this is the little book of weeds they never knew they needed. Color photos. (Feb.)