"Weeds"

[BrettB]

For those that look at gardens through a different prism and see the beauty and value of seeding grasses, thistles, dandelions and other plants looked on as weeds, this book by Richard Mabey is an interesting read. Subtitled "How Vagabond Plants Gatecrashed Civilisation and Changed the Way We Think About Nature" the book is a light hearted ramble through various historical, cultural, botanical, philosophical and religious associations of the plants we call weeds.
Whilst it has a strong UK centric focus, Australian plants do get a mention if only as examples of plants that have become "weedy" when cultivated outside their native habitat. It presented me with some new insights into weeds and I now think about them in a new light.
Worth a read if you are interested in plants.

Cheers
Brett

[Tiaris]

"Back from the Brink" by Peter Andrews is another excellent read based on the notion that there is no such thing as a weed - he proposes (very convincingly) that "weeds" are natures way of healing degraded land/soil.

[E Orix]

I always thought a Weed was a plant growing out of place

[mattymeischke]

Weed: a plant growing well where you don't want it too.
The couch grass in the lawn is a weed in the veggie patch...

In a similar vein, but much older, Joseph A. Coccaneur wrote "Weeds: The Guardians of The Soil" in the 50s. Long out of print, but can be found on the net as a PDF.