Creeping Charlie

I’ve been in a battle with creeping charlie (Glechoma Hederacea).

It spread from a neighbor’s yard, which spread from a neighbor’s yard, etc… I don’t blame the next-door neighbor, I’ve been unsuccessfully helping her to eradicate this weed for years. We point to a couple of people on the block that don’t quite make much of an effort to take care of their yards. (Well, she did mostly, before she moved)

Creeping charlie is particularly bad in that it is a ground cover. As anyone else who has struggled with this plant knows, it will take over a yard. It destroys the grass and the only thing that has a chance against it is tall growing weeds, like pigweed, horseweeds or lambs quarter.

After another herbicide application this fall, the thought occurred to me that this weed (and any weed) is like a bad idea that takes root, grows and then chokes out what one needs or desires to grow there. This metaphor is apt to many applications, if one thinks about it.

I’m sure my two regular readers are more than capable see what I’m talking about, but for others, let’s look at this:

A young country is trying to grow liberty and freedom and before long the neighbors introduce socialism and statist control. At first they shrug it off since it’s a couple of neighbors over. But later they become more vigilant because the threat is close and the contrast to a healthy environment is immediately noticeable. They begin counter-measures to deal with it. But then life interrupts for whatever reason, perhaps sickness, battles with other neighbors, trying to build wealth, or even infrastructure repairs due to neglect, wear-and-tear or disaster recovery. Sometimes these noxious ideas spread underground, right under their nose.

The country uses ideas to counter their ideas (pulling the weeds from the roots) and the courts (spraying herbicide) in the battle against these “weeds”. Finally, as more and more of the yard is overtaken by these noxious ideas (weeds) there is only one method that absolutely works. But as this entry at The Yard Doctor regarding creeping charlie posits:

Any one that tells you they can get RID of Creeping Charlie should have their head examined! I have tried now for 4 years to even reduce it... ...Finally I tried the BURN the LAWN Method... ...Rented a flame thrower now 2nd time from my hardware store. Filled up the 20 gallon propane tank and went to town. And the little baby plants of creeping charlie were still happy and green till I stood their [sic] for about 30 seconds of scorching heat to make it go to Ashes [sic]

"BURN the LAWN Method" and "Go to ashes." Unfortunately, the grass burns as well, but soon revives.

Like nature does... :-) fire is what turns over fields of grasses etc.

Fire - another metaphor for another time.