The Weed and the Israeli Problem
Pushy, loud, always trying to get ahead, rude, crude, where did they learn their manners - yeah, we've heard it all before. It's what "they" say about especially Israelis. By "they," I don't necessarily mean anti-Semites; I mean the prim and proper Anglo types, Jewish or otherwise, who are shocked at the gall of them all!
Interestingly, these critics say the same thing about - weeds! Hmmm - does that mean Israelis and weeds have something in common? Both are an acquired taste, and often you can only learn to appreciate them with an attitude adjustment. But they can contain surprising and unexpected beauty, and both Israelis and weeds (http://tinyurl.com/3b2deh) can be very helpful in many ways.
As Western immigrants to Israel, we know what it takes to deal with the natives - both of the heterotrophic and autotrophic varieties. Control is the key; you have to keep an eye on them, channel their talents, skills, and energies into positive directions. Did you know, for example, that many of the plants we consider "weeds" can be used as effective homemade remedies (http://tinyurl.com/yogene)? Maybe you should think twice before applying weed spray!
As we all know, getting Israelis to cooperate is a challenge. If only it was as easy as managing a garden! Fortunately, that latter task is as easy as downloading and setting up the free Virtual Garden program from none other than the BBC (http://tinyurl.com/pvzxu). The British, of course, are famous for their beautiful gardens, and their manners - which make them experts on how to control and channel unruly weeds, and make sure they behave properly!
And behave they will, when you plan your garden with Virtual Garden. To start with, you set up your space (in meters or feet) by drawing the boundaries of your garden; odd shaped or sized plots are welcome. You then lay out the ground areas that will have grass and section off the parts that are covered (like a patio area), where no planting will be done. On those areas, you can set up objects such as deck chairs, tables etc.
But the real fun of this program is in "planting" things. Virtual Garden comes with a information and photos of dozens of plants, flowers and trees, which you "plant" by clicking and moving around in the garden area. The pictures themselves would be education enough for city slickers who are unfamiliar with the names of the flowers and plants in their garden, but the program also has a treasure trove of tips for each item, such as where the best place to plant them would be. And when you're done, click on the 3D button for a view of the garden you could have if things go according to plan. And believe it or not, some of the plants listed are considered - would you believe - weeds? BBC, Israel salutes you - we always knew you were on our side!
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