Good weeds, bad weeds

By Erle Nickel
for the Mercury News

A philosopher once said that a weed is only a weed when you don't want it growing in your garden. That pretty much covers all of those pesky plants, right? Not so fast. Some species have blooms or foliage so pretty that you might want to plant these self-seeders in your garden, or allow a species that just seemed to blow into your yard to stay. The trick is separating the good weeds from the bad ones. Here, from my eclectic garden experience, is my list of heroes, the "weeds" you want in your garden, and villains, those that you most certainly don't. Read more>