What weeds may come...

It was an unseasonably cool and wet beginning to May but, you can be sure the weeds will pop overnight once it warms up.

It's like the first snowfall when people suddenly can't drive, the weeds appear and everyone loses their mind.

I constantly wonder why this is? I mean there has been a bylaw in place for what...eight years now? Weeds appear every year at this time, so where's the surprise?

I have come to the conclusion it is due to the constant bombardment of flyers and other media ads proclaiming product/ service that is "guaranteed" to give you a "weed-free lawn." This is simply not true.

I know the big companies are about the numbers and this is an excellent selling tool for them, but once they have your money they've got you. This happens every year when the frustration of looking at a sea of yellow turns to desperation/ panic and you are willing to try anything.

Even Fiesta and Weed-B-Gone state, "weed killer" right on the container, but these products affect the top-growth only and the unaffected root will push up a new weed. Yet, we keep buying this crap although you know from experience it has limited capabilities.  It's the only product, currently available, to remotely control anything. If you are concerned about creeping charlie , or clover, well...just forget about injuring any weed with a horizontal root system, it's not going to happen to your satisfaction.

I've tried discussing this slight-of-hand with both the Ministry of the Environment and the Consumer Protection Agency only to be sent chasing the tail of the other. Please know guys,"passing the buck" accomplishes nothing and the problem remains.

Here's a thought; if all the companies just started to drift away from their antiquated ways of advertising and tried being honest, maybe the consumer would change their way of thinking too and shift to creating a healthier lawn by other practices.

While there is money to be made and suckers willing to bite, I don't see change anytime soon and a "weed-free" lawn will continue to be a hopeless pursuit instead of a thing of the past.