A Weed By Any Other Name...

I love all my jobs, but there is something special about my gardening job. So far, it is the only job that gets me outside. It's good to get outside to feel some sun and breathe some fresh (or fresh-ish) air. I like to have my hands in the dirt and there is a real satisfaction in clearing the weeds away from the plants they are choking the life out of. Which brings me to today's conundrum. How exactly does one classify a weed? Until I took this job, I didn't consider clover to be a weed but my boss wants it gone so I have to pull it. In her defense it can get pretty tall, a good 6 inches or so when left un-mowed. Today I came across a low-lying weed that looked a little like clover with tiny yellow flowers and it covered the ground like a carpet. I started to pull it but it seemed too nice of a ground cover to get rid of. I pulled the taller, more choking weeds from these smaller weeds and went to my boss to ask her if I could continue to cultivate them. She said yes! I guess a weed is a plant that you don't want to stay where it happens to be growing.