The Undead, or Perils of Pokeweed Part 2

To recap, last year I sowed a packet of 'wildflower mix' seeds in a flower bed by my house. Unbeknownst to me this particular packet included pokeweed seeds. Where I come from pokeweed is considered an invasive noxious weed, and my opinion on the subject mirrors this attitude. So this spring, I mounted an attack on the original pokeweed plant still lurking in my garden. My first plan of attack was to dig out the old plant, taproot and all. Ha! Take that you cursed pokeweed! Ding, ding! Round one to me!

But wait--- pokeweed isn't so easily vanquished. I may have rooted out the original plant, but all its many berries fell around it. Even with the mother of all pokeweeds gone, the progeny lives on. They merrily sprout up all over my flowerbed in batches and bunches, virtual tribes of poke.

They cluster under my baby sunflowers and flock around the perennials that have begun to bloom. They march through the dirt, a little poke army, conquering by sheer numbers. They even send out hordes to hide amongst the blades of grass in a brazen attempt to overrun the yard.    

But I am merciless. I pluck, pluck, pluck every little poke I see. I pluck the tiny red stems one at a time. I pluck whole handfuls all at once. I yank them, dig them, fling them. Sure, there's some collateral damage when a tiny violet gets caught in the destruction or a desirable volunteer seedling is felled along with the invaders. It's the price I'm willing to pay. Guerrilla warfare, baby.