Immigration and the backyard

Mexican Margaritas and African Aloe
Fred at the waterhole

I live in a garden. It takes some work, but I like the results. I had to decide what it was I wanted to grow and whether the plants I planted would be compatible with each other. (Yes, it is true, some plants do not thrive next to some other plants!) I select my seeds carefully from a wide variety of choices. I use both heritage seeds and hybrids, and I save seed from year to year. When I look out at my garden I see my mammoth Russian sunflowers, my Swiss Chard, my African daisys, my margaritas, and of course my native gourds, tomatoes, peppers and squash. I have yellow cucumbers, and purple zucchini. I have Peruvian potatoes--There is alot of variety and it works pretty well. Oh, and don't forget the Chilean mesquites.
There are another kind of seeds however that take root in my garden univited. These seeds come over the wall or under the gate. They take root, and if I am not vigilant they literally strangle some of my other plants. These are called weeds. I spend a few minutes six days a week pulling weeds and feeding them to Fred. But, I can't use an herbicide because it is too broad in it's effect. The herbicide would kill the weeds, but it would also kill my sunflowers, my chard, lettuce, carrots, squash, tomatoes onions, Italian grapes, Indian corn and so on.
And it would make Fred sick. Me too.

Once again. With immigration aren't we painting with too broad a brush, or spraying with too harsh a chemical? Isn't there a need and a place for the beautiful, the delicious, and the healthy. Can't we nourish the good and eliminate the destructive at the same time.
And can't we admit that there are both?
If we can't recognize this simple truth, the weeds will take over.
I won't let that happen in my garden!