Cognitive Reframe

Yesterday I went out to do some weeding in a thicket of black nightshade that has sprung up down by the barn. There I was, toiling away pulling out plant after plant, when it suddenly occurred to me that instead of weeding I could call this harvesting. Funny how just that one word change transformed my feelings about the task.

Black NIghtshade

Goodness that’s a sh**load of weeds.

Black nightshade in wheelbarrow

But wait, I’m not weeding, I’m harvesting.

Black nightshade in compost bin

What a lov-er-ly lot of biomass for my compost heap.

Thank goodness the farmlet has oodles more weedy biomass for me to harvest? How very fortunate.

How do you approach weeding? With loathing or joy? Or possibly just a few sharp implements.

chrissyb

12 Comments

  1. With wonder at the multitude and variety of blessed weeds that love our patch! How’s that for positivity?
    Btw it is confirmed wisdom that chicken weed is a sign of good soil balance .

    • A very positive stance! They do say that if your soil can grow a variety of healthy weeds it will grow healthy veggies, and your garden certainly does that.

      I don’t think I’ve seen any chickweed here. Maybe the chickens eat it all?

  2. And so much more to harvest any time you get the urge! 🙂 I mostly enjoy weeding, although the scale of our weeding operations can be a little daunting at times. I try to view it as exercise. At the moment though all I can think about is flies. Flies, flies and more flies. Swatting them is also good exercise….

    • Yes, dealing with the current fly population is beginning to feel about as daunting as the scale of our weeding.

  3. I quite like weeding, although I must admit I don’t do an awful lot of it …
    Aunty C is wondering how the spinning is going. She does feel that the fibres in your wool really aren’t long enough … sound like another beloved octogenarian?

    • I have done only a very small amount of spinning, and my proficiency is low. Perhaps it’s not me, just the fibres (haha). So far produced some ‘boucle’ designer style wool (i.e. very lumpy). I have a post planned about the spinning wheel.

  4. Weeds, what weeds? – it’s been so dry that it just seems to be my flowers in the garden – static, ie not growing. Now, if you were talking Lawns… well, they just seem to keep on growing and growing and… hard to find the first feijoas as they fall off. I occasionally love weeding – plenty of time to contemplate things, ie get away from housework and people.

  5. I have an unexpected free hour this morning… perhaps I will try some harvesting!

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