I just have to get into this one! Purslane is a common garden weed here in Minnesota, sprouting everywhere in cultivated soil. One summer I decided to use it as a living mulch. I pulled all except those plants growing midway between my crop rows. As I had hoped, it spread to a mat that shaded the soil and helped to keep it moist, while its shallow roots did not compete with my garden rows. It supressed other weeds and provided a pleasant snack while I thinned or harvested the rows. To my sorrow, the following year I had almost no purslane. Perhaps tilling had put the seed too deep. I plan to pull a few plants before tilling this year, and spread them around after tilling. That was my easiest garden-care summer ever, an experience worth repeating!