Wild Flower Or Weed

Discussion in 'Identification Area' started by wiseowl, Apr 22, 2013.

  1. longk

    longk Total Gardener

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    It's a weed around here, but easily got rid of before it seeds.

    True - in the green bin!!!

    The previous owners here tolerated all sorts of weeds. Amongst them are Forget me Nots, Teasel, Primrose, Perriwinkle, Helleborus foetida, Ivy and (dare I say it) Aquilega. What has made it even worse for me is that when they did finally pull them they put 'em in the compost!
     
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    • ARMANDII

      ARMANDII Low Flying Administrator Staff Member

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      I find it therapeutic to amble around the garden and pull up any weed that's bold enough to stick it's head up in the borders:dunno::snork: I tend to look particularly for Couch Grass as that will spread quickly with runners if the shoots are not pinched out quickly and starved of light and being able to photosynthesis. Again, there are some wild native plants/weeds that are a good food crop for beneficial insects so I will allow them to grow and then dead head them to stop them seeding..........the birds and wind will do that job.:snork:
       
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      • longk

        longk Total Gardener

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        I agree, but a rubble bag full of the above (which are just seedlings) in a week!
         
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        • ARMANDII

          ARMANDII Low Flying Administrator Staff Member

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          To be honest, lolimac, there are seedlings in my borders but I have to hold back on some of them as I don't know what they are at this stage. They could, and probably are, seedlings from my herbaceous perennials, so I let them come on until I can identify them. The more obvious unwanted seedlings get the chop without a thought!!!
          But it's one of the reasons that I don't use a Hoe in the borders as past experience has shown it's too easy to damage shoots just under the surface......and I have done that a few times over the years:gaah::snork:
           
        • honeybunny

          honeybunny Head Gardener

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          i cant say i've ever liked using the word "weed" they are our native wildflowers at the end of the day, our very own homegrown flora & i think they can be very pretty, i have a little corner of the garden where i have the likes of chickweed, sow thistle, plantain, cleavers, dandelions ect growing...these are all edible & i harvest them to feed to my pet birds/guinea pigs ;) i also have a few 'herb robert' in the rockery & a row of bittercress which i keep trimmed almost like a tiny little hedge along the sides of the aviary for the birds to nibble as it grows through the wire. there's also wild violets & toadflax. we used to have some beautiful mallows would very much like to get those again, i wish i had daisies & purple clover in the lawn lol always thought it looked so much prettier :)
           
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          • shiney

            shiney President, Grumpy Old Men's Club Staff Member

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            We were given that definition of a weed when I was at school!! :hate-shocked: :snork:

            You're talking about half of the beloved plants in my garden! :biggrin:
             
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            • Silver surfer

              Silver surfer PLANTAHOLIC

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              Hmm! It is not quite as simple as that.

              Many "weeds" are plants introduced from other countries, that have escaped, and are now a real pest and problem.

              eg 1.Fallopia japonica. Japanese knotweed.

              http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Fallopia_japonica_MdE_2.jpg

              Introduced to Britain because it was a very beautiful plant.
              Now escaped everywhere it costs the country millions to just keep it in check.

              eg.2. Impatiens glandulifera.

              http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=impatiens glandulifera flowers&rls=com.microsoft:en-US&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=3K2MUfHoK6mb0wXqm4GgAg&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAQ&biw=1365&bih=596

              ...Another gorgeous flower...Introduced... but oh dear it is all along the river banks near here and now in hedgerows. It would fill the farmers fields as well if they didn't regularly plough and harvest grain crops.The explosive seeds means it it is another problem plant. It completely smothers out our native plants, until it is the sole species in acres of ground.
              There are many others... Giant hogweed.Crocosmia.etc etc
               
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              • shiney

                shiney President, Grumpy Old Men's Club Staff Member

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                You're certainly right about that! :blue thumb:

                These were taking over and had covered acres. It took a lot of time and effort for them to clear it.
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                • longk

                  longk Total Gardener

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                  No offence intended!
                  It would be boring if we all had the same tastes anyway...........
                   
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                  • shiney

                    shiney President, Grumpy Old Men's Club Staff Member

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                    None taken :). They make the gardening a bit easier as they need no attention. :blue thumb:
                     
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                    • clueless1

                      clueless1 member... yep, that's what I am:)

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                      I'm off to a late start this year, so I still haven't got round to sorting out my borders. Dandelions have moved in, and daisies are in the lawn. I looked out of the kitchen window today and saw loads of flowers. Bold, cheerful orange en-masse from the dandelions, striking yellow last year's sprouts and broccoli that are now flowering, eye catching pockets of bright white from the daisies in the lawn, and bumble bees looking happy as Larry as they buzz from dandelion to sprout/broccoli flower. All that for no effort from me yet this year.

                      The dandelions will go ugly soon, and then I'll pull them out. Some of them will have set seed before I do that and my son will no doubt blow/kick said seeds all over the garden, but that's alright. It just means more free, zero maintenance bright orange flowers:)
                       
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                      • shiney

                        shiney President, Grumpy Old Men's Club Staff Member

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                        There's nothing wrong with dandelions (apart from the name coming from the French :heehee:)

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                        • ARMANDII

                          ARMANDII Low Flying Administrator Staff Member

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                          I blew on the last seed head, Shiney, and it didn't move??:dunno::snork:
                           
                        • shiney

                          shiney President, Grumpy Old Men's Club Staff Member

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                          It took me a long time to put the glue on the seed head! :phew:
                           
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                          • Fat Controller

                            Fat Controller 'Cuddly' Scottish Admin! Staff Member

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                            I used to see a reddish-purple flowering weed on the roadsides in Scotland (never seen them down here) - tall, lupin-ish flowers (as in, flowers all the way up a stem) that faded to feathery things once flowering was over.

                            No idea what they were, but they were pretty
                             
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