"Rommel, You Magnificent Bastard, I Read Your Book!"

That is, of course, a line from the movie Patton, exclaimed by General Patton (George C. Scott) as he realizes that he has outmaneuvered Rommel in a battle in North Africa. The line occurred to me the other day while weeding. I felt -- even if only briefly -- that I had an advantage over the weeds because I've been reading "their" book.

The book is My Weeds, by Sara Stein. Stein gives her subject the same dedication that other gardener-writers have shown toward clematis, perennial borders, ornamental grasses, or rhododendrons. In a way, her dedication is even greater, because she seeks to understand weeds the way a conscientious general seeks to understand his opponent. She appreciates what they can do; she looks at their strong points realistically. She acknowledges that overconfidence in the face of weeds will cost you.

Her advice on how to deal with weeds mostly takes the form of highly entertaining war stories. She describes how she manages particular weeds in particular settings and occasionally how her acquaintances or relatives have succeeded with different techniques. These anecdotes inspire me. Stein's writing lends a certain glory to the unpleasant, underappreciated, yet indispensable task of weeding.