Acknowledgements

I’d like to thank…

Dr. Andy Senesac, PhD in Weed Science of the Long Island Horticultural Research Center of Cornell’s Co-operative Extension (CCE) in Riverhead, NY, whose passion for the science of weeds and whose well-labeled weed garden, weed lab, and weed testing area provided inspiration, information, an exciting behind-the scenes look, and hands-on experience. He has corrected my false starts and encouraged me as he read through many drafts. He is an impressive researcher into the uses of weeds for landscaping highways as well as the up-to-the-minute methods for the control of weeds on nurseries and farms. He helped edit and produce a favorite weed book, Weeds of the Northeast, which I have read till it’s almost worn out. I’d also like to thank the many teachers of the Master Gardener’s school of Cornell where I received so much support and encouragement to lecture, teach, and write, and to Caroline T. Kiang, Director of the program, who led me to Dr. Senesac. She launched me on my lecture series, especially at the CCE’s Spring Gardening School and the post grad volunteer program that led me to community lectures.

For my green orientation, I’d like to thank Jeff Frank of The Nature Lyceum who changed my paradigm to organics, provided a platform for my lectures about organic management of weeds, gave me the opportunity to practice keeping students’ attention without visual aids, and who introduced me to The Organic Turf Trade Show with its large audience.

Special thanks to my Botany Professor, Ken Ettlinger, who enlightened me about the role of plants in nature and familiarized me with “botano-speak”. He believed in the book’s mission, felt that such an organically oriented book “was never more needed than now”, and encouraged my approach and writing style.

I extend heartfelt and personal thanks to Therese Madonia, professional journalist, editor, passionate Master Gardener, and my desk mate at CCE, for her encouragement, writing lessons, and editorial comments. I also appreciate the generous work of my brother James Kardon, accomplished law partner, who has diligently proofread and edited my many drafts over the years.  He raised challenging questions, directed me to paradigm-changing reading, assiduously reminded me of our grammar lessons in high school, all as  he cheered me on. And of course a special thanks to my loving and inspiring spouse—who has published books on gems and minerals and who is now completing a fabulous novel, a roman a clef—for his support in this all-consuming passion. He established a writers’ workshop that provided a forum to bring this book from concept to completion. Thanks too to those attendees at my lectures who not only stayed awake, but also insisted they were eager for such a book.

And thanks too to my agent Loretta Barrett and the team at Author & Company, especially Ned Barrett and Laura Van Wormer, for belief in the project, foresight about e-books, and for help in getting this published.

I dedicate this book to all those inspiring garden volunteers, the weeds.