Interesting conversation on weeds I found here:
It generally sums up my view–weeds are what you make them. When I first bought the current house I had a funny weed in the sad back lawn area I kept mowing over. Eventually I realized it was a small rhubarb plant and moved it. From weed to food source in 5 minutes! I also moved a persistent trumpeter vine out of the lawn/garden area over along a fence, and it is working on becoming a useful part of the hummingbird friendly plants out back. (I just this week found the original root on the trumpeter vine is trying to come up by the tomatoes 2 years later–back to a weed again!) Just need a perspective change sometimes.
In my garden grass is a weed because it is out of place. But we’ve worked hard to get it to grow well in the lawn. (Which is looking great finally, thanks to S~’s consistent watering regimen.) As soon as I figure out how to get rid of the field bindweed that keeps coming up in the lawn and the garden, I will be happy with how it is all looking. The lawn seems to be competing fairly well finally, but the bindweed keeps cropping up in the garden–it and the elm tree seedlings are my designated nemesis of this summer.
In summary, I agree with the sentiment that weeds are simply a plant that is out of place. But sometimes I can’t help but feeling that “special place” should be the county landfill. 🙂