No Such Things As Weeds!

Hi All,



Just a shout out to all those gardeners who feel a bit low about not having quite as "perfect" and "neat and tidy" a garden as some.


Everyone has their own way, and I am going to stick my neck on the line here, and be defiant;


"HEY-GARDENER-LEAVES THOSE "WEEDS" ALONE!"

Bramble-flowers, bistort, willowherb, mullein, forget me nots, heartsease, ramson, thrift, lambstongue even red nettles are perfect little nuggets.

And how can anyone who loves plants possibly "hate" buttercups and daisies?

As a child who hasn`t told the time (wrongly of course) by blowing on a flower gone to seed, or caught one in the breeze and made a wish?

Or risked a stinging by trying to collect ladybirds off a patch of nettles?

Or played a makeshift trumpet on a tall blade of grass?

Some of us still do these things and love to show these things to our kiddies.

Although it is commonplace to find people dragging them down, I won`t and I am here to stick up for them.

We are losing all these things at a rate of knots, how impoverished our heritage will become if they aren`t allowed to exist. Even the public parks are manicured and polished to within an inch of their lives.

I learned my love of these things walking through fields and parks with my Grandad whilst he told me stories and rhymes about them. So many children these days learn that flowers and plants have worth only if they can buy them from garden centres, and all else must be cleared away and destroyed. How sad.


For anyone who calls them and hates them-theres a patch of hogweed waiting for you!!

I love my garden and won`t "furnish" it.


So there!!:p

 

I prefer to regard weeds as plants which choke to death those around them, rather than anything else. For example at the bottom of our wood the native hedge of hazel, blackthorn etc is being deprived of light, water etc by a rampant growth of bindweed and goosegrass. They are the true weeds to me IN THAT PLACE. Elsewhere they may live in peace.

 

My definition is that a weed is a plant in the wrong place. A self sown delphinium in my gravel path is in the wrong place, as is bindweed growing up my raspberry cane!

 

Exactly,


and with all of these introduced species people just can`t tell the difference between the two,-native flora or introduced plants, and just go around yanking out anything and everything. Bindweed is terrible and you can see it pretty much everywhere now, I actually had a conversation with someone about them ripping out the native ivy ( helix)claiming it was choking everything in their garden to death and planting bindweed in its place claiming "at least it is pretty". I think we can all pretty much guess what happened. And this is my point really, because there are a lot more half hearted gardeners who don`t much care than there are informed ones these things are having a laugh whilst poor old nettle and daisy gets a hard time.

 

"I think we can all pretty much guess what happened"

Whack! perhaps? :D

 

Now, I never say "I told you so", but the scar on my bottom lip will probably last a lifetime!

I did feel sorry for her afterwards though, shame she didn`t feel sorry for the ivy methinks!

 

What is truly backward of me though, is that I adore sweet-peas.

 

what about when you've spent 3 months caring, feeding and nipping out your first 6 tomato plants, only to find out that they are blimmin weeds?!! (Fat Hen FYI)

 

You have reserved a place in fat hen heaven.

 

I have a bramble in my front garden, it grows in a corner where nothing will grow anyway. It's been there for a couple of years, every so often I hack it back so it's not a problem with anything else in the garden and try to pull or dig out the runner things (can't you tell I'm not really an experienced gardener). This year it's got flowers on it and it looks quite pretty. I also have a small patch of netles as well - no matter how much I dig them out they regrow so I've left them to it this year - hopefully I'll get some wildlife in my garden.

My front lawn has lots of clover in it and looks nice, it's also got a little plant that has tiny white flowers on it - this also looks pretty as most of my lawn is terrible, but the clover is spreading out nicely and even when I've mowed it the lawn looks nice and green plus it doesn't need mowing as often where the clover is.

 

And your doing your bit for nature Katherna, coz the bees just love clover flowers! 02

 

I find it quite amusing that the big garden centres are now selling our native flora back to us. The amount of foxgloves this yr that I have seen people actually parting with money for-and a lot of money at that, is perfectly absurd.

 

I agree Lolli, I have them in my garden because I like them, but they can grow like weeds if you dont keep them under control. Id never dream of buying one. Even the worlds worse gardener can grow them from seed.:D 02

 

I could grow them from seed then! :D

 

Course, thats what Mother Nature intended after all. Somehow without the aid of secauteurs and propagators and poisons she managed it all beautifully because she decided all in equal measure.