Thugs!

I've just pulled another handful as I took my morning stroll with a cuppa

 

Guess we all have a our own 'pet' thugs. A particular one of mine is everblasted pea Lathyrus sylvestris, been having a 2 year fight with it and although much weakened it still keeps coming back as the root system has invaded walls, paths and foundations. This year I think I'll have to try Roundup.

 

Blimey...I have one..or is that several,that grow at the base of my cherry tree and makes a lovely display.
Looks like it's a good job it's isolated from my border!

 

This little thug which I dont actualy hate I bought as 2 little hanging basket plants several years ago it then grew in my borders to a height of 4 feet and now it is spreading everywhere it has a lovely verigated foliage but I never did know it's name HELP.......Does it have a place in our gardens?

 

Welcome back Frogesque! Thought you were away for longer, somehow!
Roders - have never seen that one - very pretty, but then so is vinca, or lamium, or forget-me-not, etc, etc....

 

Unless I miss my guess, that is a member of the carot family - I have a similar green weed in my garden, and its a pain, difficult to dig out due to long tap root.

However the thugs in my garden are ground elder, and field bindweed both from next door.

Speedwell, ajuga and creeping buttercup I'm happy to deal with, along with that other prolific self seeder, shepherds purse.

 

I have ground elder too, I have found one thing that outgrows it in my garden, which I much prefer, and that is alpine strawberries. I brought some from my parents' garden and am helping the plants to spread all over mine. I'll have to try violets too.
I love that little variegated plant, hope someone knows what it is!
I only really dislike the ground elder and bindweed.

 

I've got tons of ground elder to dig out of a garden that is full of bulbs, without disturbing the bulbs, so the house is ready to be put on the market - a challenge!!

 

Hope your knees are up to it! That's what I really hate, you have to get right down to it if it's in with other plants. Might be easier to dig up the bulbs and replant them after!

 

My thugs are small but significant.

When I had what I laughingly called a lawn in my front garden, the grass was being strangled out by mind-your-own-business which has spread from the flower beds.

Also this gets everywhere, nont know its name, but it sends underground runners and has exploding seed pods.

 

That's woodsorrel [oxalis] isn't it? Didn't know about the exploding seeds though!

 

One mans weed is another mans plant - I have a lovely black ajuga and a varigated one, it creeps everywhere but I just pull it out when I get fed up of it.

Hoe the chick weed, it will go soon anyway, but best get it before it sets seed.

As to the buttercup - I get this, usually because I have not rotted my Horse manure for long enough. I pull it with an excellent old fashioned tool hes a V shaped end. I don't like using spray unles I have to Ground Elder and stuff like that Aaahhhh the thought!

 

oxalis for sure!! I know my weeds!! Have to pull out so many! And people actually buy this one!!
:D

 

like the new avatar, Waco - rose or peony? resolution on my lap-top's not so good!! Guess a david austin rose, tho'! Prob completley wrong! :D

 

People also buy mind your own business little knowing its a form of mint and while dying back a little in severe frost, shrugs off round up. Best you can do with it is skim if off and keep in bounds but if it gets into the lawn