Veronica Officinalis, Common Speedwell

Day 250: The weeds are winning. This cute little Speedwell (Veronica officinalis) is a European introduction. Admittedly, its status is listed as "not of concern," but that's only because no one but me ever walks through my back yard. It is especially prevalent this year around the foundation where I disturbed the soil to plant the seeds in a wildflower packet. The packet contained its own sampling of semi-invasives, notably California poppies which, it must be noted, I now see springing up along my neighbour's fence line where I can do nothing about them. Sometimes it feels like I've been trying to dip the ocean dry with a teaspoon, fighting invasives. The property behind mine is full of them, albeit ones for which the county does not mandate control. Ox-eye daisies line our roadways, perennial Peavine and Narrow-leaved Peavine clog ditches, and Scotch Broom flaunts its ability to resist our best efforts to remove it by establishing monocultures on private property. I look out the front window, and the view makes me think that Common Speedwell and a few California poppies are rather innocuous when they're fighting for life among the dominating daisies. Or maybe I'm just getting too old and tired to keep fighting this war.