The city of Cortez recently sent a mailer instructing the citizenry to control its weeds. I’ve got news for the city: I have been trying to grow Kentucky bluegrass for two years, and all I get is more bindweed. I am not a plant person, I kill plants – not on purpose, but even plastic plants have a hard time surviving me. But I found three plants that I can’t kill: bindweed, cheatgrass and foxtail. Personally, I think bindweed should be the state flower. It’s everywhere, and it’s pretty. Sure, it chokes out everything else, but it embodies the pioneer tenacity, and for brown thumbs like me, it’s really the best option for affordable landscaping. Besides that, where around Cortez do you find Kentucky bluegrass besides yards and parks? Nowhere. I had just given in to nature and decided to landscape with bindweed, cheatgrass and foxtail and along comes this letter ... sigh. If the city is going to be regressive and turn away the gift horse of recreational marijuana tax, the least it could do is make my bindweed legal.

Nels Werner

Cortez