Pigweed, no joke

Every year, it seems we have a different weed or two that really takes off in the gardens. Virginia creeper nearly took out some shrubs a few years ago, the same time Jerusalem artichoke went rogue and nearly demolished a rhubarb.

Last year, a newcomer seemed to be popping up everywhere, and we kept tossing it out to the lawn for me to mow or to the driveway. Then, one afternoon, I put some in front of the rabbits … and they loved it.

Then came our quandary. Was it safe for them to eat?

In trying to identify the plant, we came across Better Homes & Garden’s online “only guide to weeds you’ll ever need,” and after scrolling past a few dozen we know all too well, we came across our suspect – pigweed.

And yes, it’s edible, even by some humans.

No wonder the bunnies were, uh, pigging out.

And our weed suddenly became a welcome crop to harvest abundantly.

 

Tossing out those old return-address labels

In moving, I had no more need for a folder of return-address labels to the old house, many of them sent to me as fundraisers from various sources. They were really helpful back when I was submitting work prolifically to the literary mags, but lately it’s been mostly in paying the bills.

Among the labels were those from these sources:

  1. The alumni association.
  2. Sierra Club.
  3. Amnesty International.
  4. Grassroots International.
  5. AAA.
  6. Climate action.
  7. Wildlife groups.
  8. Resist.
  9. Ones from a lighthouse series I had ordered. They were larger and impressive.
  10. Ones I designed and printed out myself.