John Maeda at Simplicity has written a terrific article in praise of the weed; or more specifically the dandelion. Maeda is a professor of media design at MIT and takes a different view of this ubiquitous little yellow flower. Rather than an eyesore, he recalls the playful joy that it brings out even in us "serious" adults.

Today I am glad that we have our share of weeds. I really love
dandelions even though I am old enough to know that one puff … and
all the seeds are released to grow even more weeds. The temptation is
simply too great to not want to puff at one of these things. Nature’s
done a smashing job at creating such an addictive visual treat. Weed.

I admit that I look at the perfect homogeneity of well-manicured lawns with some envy. As I jog through my neighborhood, these lawns look lush and inviting, beckoning me to lie down and relax on their soft green bed. Then, I think of how much time and effort it took the owner to create this artificial environment: the amount of uniform seed, fertilizer and lime, watering. I can’t help doing this because when it comes to my lawn, I’m extremely lazy. I have a hard enough time mowing…the thought of going to any extra effort doesn’t really compute in my head.

Then I remember the yard of my youth. I grew up on a couple of open acres that would yield dandelions, as well as other little purple, blue, and pink wildflowers, red clover, and other "weeds." Definitely not homogeneous, but in many ways it was beautiful. There was even a neglected area where I remember a small sproutling of an oak tree started to grow many years ago. Now, when I return to my parent’s house, I’m amazed to see it still there – a healthy, fairly large tree with ample branches in which to climb.

My mind can’t resist seeing the connections between our weedy yards and each of us. I know I’ve spent far too much time trying to pull out the weeds which are my own perceived weaknesses in order to achieve that homogeneous perfection. What I’m beginning to see is that sometimes those weeds bring me closer to who I actually am. It depends on how I look at them. I have my own little yellow flowers popping up, waiting for the day that I can give them a good puff and watch with childlike wonder as the seeds float away through the air.