As everyone starts getting the "weed and feed" spread out on their lawns it's worth a pause to take a look at some of those weeds that are growing in the garden.
They may seem like nuisance, getting in the way of a perfectly manicured lawn, but in actuality a lot of them serve a purpose.
There are a few that are edible, the flower known as Oxalis or Sour Flower, offers a tangy, citrusy taste as a garnish and can add a pop of color to the dish.
While an edible flower may seem a little trivial and not serve a major purpose of need there are others that are actually pretty important to a healthy ecosystem.
Take Elderflower, it sprouts up like a weed along fence lines or in ignored places of people's garden, but the berries they produce are an important food source for migratory birds.
Flea's Bane or Golden Rod are both natural growing wildflowers that are common through out Acadiana and these are a good early source of food for pollinators.
While they may reduce the early growth of grass in the yard they're actually providing a much bigger service than grass as they have deeper more complex root structures.
Those roots help aerate the soil, some pull metals out of the soil, and introduce more nutrients which in the long run produces a healthier garden.
As the days get hotter those "weeds" will burn up, unable to manage the hotter weather, and as they die back they put all those nutrients back into the soil which in turn will fertilize the grass.
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