Weeds

Hardcover | 1 July 2015

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At first thought weeds seem to be nothing more than intruders in a well-manicured lawn. But in reality a weed is only a weed because it has been deemed so; they spring up where they are not wanted, so they are removed without a second thought. But the idea of a weed is constantly changing, with the definition shifting based on the context. In a field of corn the scarlet poppy is considered to be a weed, because it does not belong with the rest of the crops. But in history what we now consider to be weeds once had practical uses; from Neolithic times until the early sixteenth century, the weed called "fat hen" was considered a vegetable, and its seeds were used to make flour. Yet despite the idea that weeds can be helpful to our ecology, they are still considered to be harmful, a nuisance in our gardens.

Weeds by Nina Edwards discusses the history of weeds, and how certain plants come to be regarded as weeds and not others. Sprinkled with personal anecdotes and full of useful information,Weeds is a helpful resource for understanding exactly what turns an ordinary plant into a weed in varying contexts.

Industry Reviews

"Cow parsley in a flower arrangement, nettle soup, dandelion and burdock to drink, tansy for a cough or convolvulus strangling the plants in our borders, burrs sticking to our clothes, thistles scratching our legs on a public footpath. . . . Weeds are, to put it mildly, controversial. In Weeds Nina Edwards has considered all these and many, many more aspects of weeds in a detailed examination of the outcasts of the plant world. While I enjoy nothing more than a good gardening book, it had never occurred to me that weeds could be the subject of such a beautiful and fascinating volume." -- "Methodist Recorder"
"Edwards takes the reader through the history of weeds and their history in art. . . . The book is copiously illustrated with paintings and prints. . . . The narrative creeps through husbandry, gardening, poetry, food, medicine, and apocalypse. . . . From the Bible to Shakespeare, weeds manifest failure, weakness, sexuality, romanticism, freedom, lack of freedom, equality--you name it. . . . Weeds makes you think about our combat with plants, always one step ahead, without sentiment." -- "Sunday Telegraph"

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