.
This article, Politically Incorrect Gardening by Bart Ziegler, got me thinking about how bad I'm being. And, apparently, not only to my small piece of the environment, but to the entire earth.
But, you see, I can't help it!
I want to grow exactly what I want to grow, native or not. Alright, I do have to admit that this does not include invasives. Aegopodium anyone? ~shudder~
Every single vegetable I grow is not a native. So, should I stop growing and eating these things? That ain't gonna happen. Ever.
This is one part of the article that really put it in a nutshell:
"Yet some of these native-plant Nazis will go on about the heirloom tomatoes and rare purple-skinned potatoes they coddle in their vegetable gardens. But if you start applying the no-imports restriction to edible plants most of the kitchen garden would disappear."
"Now imagine a yard or flower bed with no imports. You can't grow tulips, daffodils or dianthus. Plow under your daylilies and dahlias and hostas. Chop down the lilacs, the willows, the peach and pear trees and the flowering cherries. All of them and scores more garden favorites came from other parts of the world, though many date as far back as colonial homesteaders.
And once you go down this path, how far should you travel?"Exactly how far is too far?
Are you a Native Plant Purist? If you grow tomatoes, I'm guessing not.
I just can't bring myself to paying much attention to someone who says I'm hurting the butterflies and humming birds by growing snap dragons, basil and foxglove in my yard.
Dear Mother Earth,
I apologize!
.
