I love his coverage of history, literature, myth, art, botanical gardens and many, many more topics. Like a number of American readers, I find his use of common names a problem to a degree. He says he uses scientific names as well as common names, but I did not always find that to be true. Early on he mentions fat hen frequently. Eventually I had to look it up—oh, of course—lamb’s quarters (the common name where I live). So, keep the internet handy. Darwin reportedly joked to Asa Gray about the pervasiveness of British weeds in N. America, and the scarcity of Amer. weeds in England, "Does it not hurt your Yankee pride that we thrash you so confoundedly?" Gray's wife responded that American weeds were "modest, woodland, retiring things; and no match for the intrusive, pretentious, self-asserting foreigners." Mabey says this is "both witty and scientifically spot-on."

Because Mabey clearly knows what he is talking about, I gave him the benefit of the doubt. Assuming everything he said in this book is true, weeds are pretty amazing. Not only are they incredibly resilient, but they're smart. You thought Little Shop of Horrors was bad, wait until you see what our weeds are working on. Weeds is an excellent foray into the world of weeds. Here you see the weed through the lens of the historian, philosopher, scientist, socioeconomist, poet, and agriculturist. Some weeds with deeper roots contain much higher nutrition than grasses used for grazing animals. For example grasses only contain about 0.4% magnesium, whereas chicory, ribwort plantain and yarrow contain over 1%. Any animal that chews the cud, a ruminant, needs the mineral cobalt, which is 160 times greater in plantains and buttercups than in grass. Dandelion, stinging nettle and thistles have 5 times more copper than grasses and 1-1/2 times more iron. This just shows the importance of some weeds.

Available in print

Whether you are an experienced gardener or new to gardening I think you will enjoy this book. You do not have to embrace every weed in the book. That’s not what it’s about. However, the book does give a different perspective on planting with nature in mind, and I liked that. The book would also make a great gift if you are thinking about what to buy someone who enjoys gardening and gardens. Questo libro ricorda un po' quell'affermazione, anche se tratta il tema da botanico e giardiniere e non da orticultore. Mi è piaciuta molto la disanima su cosa sono le erbacce e su come alle piante questa definizione venga appioppata a seconda di quanto ci sono utili o fastidiose. E dato che lavoro in un posto in cui molto si parla di piante e specie aliene veder trattato l'argomento in maniera tutto sommato divulgativa è stato un piacevole diversivo. Unica pecca - ma dato che l'ho letto sul reader è inevitabile - mancano foto e illustrazioni delle varie piante citate. Così l'ho dovuto leggere con internet sempre attivo. Weeds by Nina Edwards discusses the scientific and cultural history of weeds, and how certain plants can come to be regarded as weeds while others are welcomed into gardens and allotments. Edwards reveals just how interesting and useful these seemingly annoying plants can be.

I do share the author’s love of plants, however I do not wish to invite many of the weeds in his book into my small garden. Sorry. The author isn’t actually asking us to invite all the weeds in his book into our gardens anyway. Phew! Instead he is helping us look at plants that are regarded as weeds in some situations, and suggesting they may well be regarded as a good plant to consider in other situations. And, if that leads us to consider bringing in just a few of these weeds then that’s great. In reality, we will already have some of these weeds in our gardens. I come from a view that no garden is ever weed free, and I’m comfortable and glad this is the case. Mabey is so good at synthesizing ideas. I also really liked his book A Cabaret of Plants, and although his discussion of weeds is comprehensive enough, Cabaret was even longer and more complicated. If you like poetry and 17th century history, Shakespearian and folk history on weeds, and are from Britain, then you just might like this book and give it a much higher rating. Me? I don’t like it so much. There was only a little bit of information I learned from this book. It’s obvious HE is very informed on ALL the weeds of Britain, and I do admire that, but I don’t like to read them on paper. Smithsonian Magazine article: “The True Story of Kudzu, the Vine that Never Truly Ate the South” (link): Mabey wants us to consider if how we have dealt with “undesirable” plants, especially with our excesses in chemical control might just be too much. Are there other ways to deal with weeds that are harmful to crops and wouldn’t a bit of tolerance in our own lifestyle be appropriate?

How to identify weeds in arable fields

Anni fa partecipai a una uscita per la raccolta di piante selvatiche a fini mangerecci. Ricordo soprattutto che la nostra guida disse che oltre l'ottanta per cento delle erbe che togliamo dall'orto sono non solo commestibili, ma persino più nutrienti del radicchio che coltiviamo. Along the way we feast on a vernacular glossary matched only by that of the Lepidoptera, plants with names like gallant soldier, love in idleness, henbane, fat-hen, shepherd’s purse, pellitory-of-the-wall, stinking mayweed, giant hogweed, yellow rattle, self-heal, and welcome-home-husband-though-never-so-drunk. Mabey introduces us to “species that relish beheading,” an alfalfa seedling that sprouts “in the moist warmth of a patient’s eyelid,”plants with “leaves smelling of beef gravy,” and “the notorious Atheist’s Fig” that sprouted from the coffin of a blasphemer. Another point where the author rubbed me the wrong way…he brought it up first, so I get to respond…is the fact that he is obviously anti-Jew and more than likely anti-Christian. He claims, AS IF IT IS FACT, that the tribes of Yahweh rejected the culture of the Middle East and declared themselves the chosen people of a single God. They invented Monotheism, the belief that there is one deity, an all-supreme being that is universally referred to as God. Hmmm! Invented?

Richard Mabey is one of the UK's greatest nature writers and in this book examines all aspects of the cultural history of weeds: Richard Mabey knows his weeds. Seriously. You know those nutty birdwatchers with their field guides and binoculars—that's Mabey with weeds. Yes, you say, but those birdwatchers go out on field hunts searching for rare birds—so does Mabey with a group of botanical nerds, searching for alien weeds in the refuse of British dumps. When a potential alien weed is found, a whistle is blown, everyone gathers around, photographs are taken, and debate ensues. The weed is then carefully removed, bagged, and a member is chosen to cultivate the weed at home. Mabey knows his weeds. how weeds have taken advantage of our mistreatment of the environment - how in fact we have made weeds the problem that they have become.I enjoyed reading about the weeds in this book. It improved my knowledge, and I will certainly look at weeds in a new way. I will also revisit the book regularly throughout the year as I spot these weeds growing in the green spaces I enjoy.

According to the Smithsonian article, the scare hype comes from two sources that are even used by professional and scholarly people: 1) a small garden club publication [what small garden club?], and two popular how-to books…a kudzu craft book [?] and a culinary/healing guide book [“The Book of Kudzu: A Culinary and Healing Guide” by William Shurtleff (1985)]. Kudzu is officially outlawed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. YET, here in the South, (according to this book by Mabey…which now I know may not be true), kudzu is still being used for controlling erosion. I haven’t found proof of this in writing yet. Funnily enough, of Buddleia, which Mabey states is an "immigrant" weed, I planted and nurtured a dark rich purple variety which has only just about started to flower after 2 years. The wild buddleia which presumably birds have pooed through onto the gravel path is now monstrously proliferating without any human intervention or nurturing whatsoever! It just goes to show, nature will do what nature wants to do! Last words and thoughts from the author that I think perfectly describes weeds and that I agree with (p. 289-90):The main thing that anyone needs to know is that human acts create weeds. Disturbed lands, especially those that have had their existing ecology disturbed as well as the earth itself, are the most inviting for both native opportunists and non-native invaders. And our efforts to eradicate them simply encourage them to find ways to survive... for example low-lying dandelions in lawns. It's an arms race, just like the one between bacteria and antibiotics.