By mid-August, our paver entryway is a bounty of green, often obscuring the dark red pavers.

But I enjoy seeing the “weeds” return each year. It’s not that hard to tame them, but I enjoy seeing the varieties and the force of life bringing green into seemingly inhospitable conditions.

Many people would criticize our garden maintenance, or at best, express sympathy for this condition. One website says,

There’s nothing more frustrating than having weeds growing between the joints of pavers. Before you know it, the weeds can take over and be almost impossible to remove.

The site describes a method for removing those weeds. It then offers a service ($2 / square foot) to prevent their return:

After you’ve invested all this time an energy in removing the weeds from your pavers, the last thing you want the weeds to do is return. The problem: unless you do anything about it, they will. 

I’m willing to accept that will of the plants.

Moss may be the most compatible plant, one that sometimes just lays green above the sand between the pavers. Then there’s clover, which begins gently, then explodes into a mini-forest. For the last week we’ve been blessed with bright blue petunias.

A liberal use of vinegar followed by a pressure washing could combat all this growth, and I appreciate that many people would prefer the like-new look after a thorough cleaning.

Nevertheless, our like-old look seems to me more beautiful and far more interesting.