Introduction

Ever since the first human settlements 10,000 years ago, weeds have dogged our footsteps. They are there as the punishment of thorns and thistles in Genesis and, two millennia later, as a symbol of Flanders Field. They are civilisations' familiars, invading farmland and building-sites, war-zones and flower-beds across the globe. Yet living so intimately with us, they have been a blessing too.

Historical and Cultural Significance

Weeds were the first crops, the first medicines. Burdock was the inspiration for Velcro. Cow parsley has become the fashionable adornment of Spring weddings.

Author's Perspective

Weaving together the insights of botanists, gardeners, artists and poets with his own life-long fascination, Richard Mabey examines how we have tried to define them, explain their persistence, and draw moral lessons from them. One person's weed is another's wild beauty.