Battling the Weeds

I have spent a few hours today pulling the thorns in the garden. Most of them were about 18 inches high, with many taller, and many shorter. All were sharp. I forgot to wear long sleeves and was surprised to look at my arms to see blood dripping where I had come in contact with the tiny thorns. I've been trying to step up my weeding since already the thorns are forming buds and even flowers, and I'm afraid they will go to seed before I can get them all. I can at least see my flower pots again.

Believe it or not, though, the thorns are easier to pull than my mystery weed, which is really a shrub.(See picture.) It's wandered through the garden from across the fence where there is a whole hedge of these plants, most of which are taller than I am. I'm not sure whether they reproduce from roots or seed, but I suspect roots. Near the house they are starting to grow in a row. I'm assuming this is some sort of native plant, or maybe it's a foreign invader. It has small leaves and woody branches and very deep roots. I have tried to pull a couple of these bushes out and I can't even pry them out with the fork shovel. I'll have to try a pick. After that I'm not sure what to try. One of these bushes has grown about a yard tall next to my small grape vine, and I need to give the grapes some breathing room. It's amazing what almost two years of total neglect can do to a garden. The same thing happens when we fail to guard our hearts from intruding thoughts that threaten to cover up or crowd out the thoughts that are true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, gracious, and worthy of praise in our minds. We have to rip the invaderss out while they are still small or they are almost impossible to remove.

One way to guard against them is to plant something more worthy that will occupy the space. Today I finally planted some basil seedlings, more parsley, and the rest of my petunias. I'm hoping they will grow enough to cover what is left of the bed by the pump house, if I just keep the tiny weed seedlings from growing. I planted. I watered, and I will be patient while God gives the growth.