CLEVELAND, Ohio -- As the vegetable garden winds down, beneath the drying bean poles and fading marigolds, the weeds, alas, are still thriving. These invasive plants, which spread quickly and crowd out native species, are a nuisance at best . But this week’s column celebrates gardeners who find ways to upcycle their enemies.

For example, reader Peggy from Cleveland writes, “Weeds get a bad name. But come the zombie apocalypse, I’m not going to starve. I’ll be able to eat my lawn.” She has learned to use plants like purslane and dandelion greens for their nutrition, though she admits the dandelions need plenty of balsamic vinaigrette to be palatable.

Garlic mustard is a classic edible enemy. Pull it before it sets seed in the spring ( or help a local Metroparks system during a garlic m

See Full Page