MuddyFork - thanks, yes, we discussed further up that it's "something" grassy - but not sure what. It's very tough rooted and has grown in amongst my Geranium, Lavender, Dierama and also now the lawn.
A dierama seedling has a few greyish green flat leaves which are fairly stiff. As the seedling grows, the leaves remain flat and stiff. I have had dierama at my pond for years and only ever get a couple of seedlings at the most from it every year. I go with the grass theory.
'Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement' - Helen Keller
hogweed - no rush but would you be able to post a picture sometime? I looked high and low and couldn't find one.
Lizzie27 - never crossed my mind it could be Cyclamen because there had only been a couple of leaves on them for years and hate to upset you but that was the SMALLEST one of 4. If you weren't so far away I'd let you come and tip the bin out...I think there are a couple of rotting bananas in there. Never seen Couch Grass that "tough" before, but could be wrong. I've had more luck with Cyclamen, in the past, by treating them as house plants.
Everyone - thanks for all your feedback. I think I'm going to have to tackle the ones that are furthest out into the lawn and fork them up, working backwards towards the wall (before they spread much further). Unfortunately they have got themselves settled 3-4 foot into the grass, so I've got a lot of digging to do. And it's too hot to do more than a little bit in the early mornings.
I bought one about two years ago and its just flowered
I also have Blackbird but the flowers are a dark burgundy red/purple I am not sure which one I bought it was not in flower then. Thanks for the warning about it's vigour.
Your photo does show a Dierama plus a number of weird weeds/things. Like others have said, I've found that my Dieramas specimen never sets seed. But then I keep my borders tidy and mulched at all times, so I'm very rarely getting any "surprise plants" other than the ones I planted myself. Here's a pic of my Dierama 'Lancelot', planted back in 2014. It keeps growing and setting out more flowers year after year. A lovely plant which I definitely would not call a 'thug'.
The grass with the runner looks like couch grass, or "twitch" as we call it around here. it infiltrates into all the perennials and is a pain to get rid of. As someone above says, Dierama have very flat type of leaves.
Iamweedy / Papi Jo - think we're established now that it's not the diarema (don't panic), but no idea what it is still. Pretty sure it's not a couch grass as it's too tough and has thicker leaves.
My cousin had it down in Calne and said it was the devil's own to get out and, having just spent a half hour digging some, I'd agree. He said it can grow up to 3 feet tall and you can see in this view, from the other direction, that the ones on the left are getting that way.
Problem is you find a teeny little "plantlet" with 4-5 leaves and fork it / start tugging and you end up with a rope like root going 3-4 foot in either direction - with another plant on the other end. Wish I'd tackled it earlier but it sprung up while I was on holiday and then I started looking around to try and find what it was, turned my back for a couple of weeks when it was too hot to go outside and - VOILA. The only &*£$&*()&*$$ thing in the garden that's actively growing!!!!
Going to have to try and get some cuttings off that Geranium but might lose it and everything else as the roots from this stuff are all over the place.
I have several Dieramas, and I collected lots of seeds from one of them this Spring (they were on the plant all Winter). They germinated in large numbers, but I don't know what I am going to do with them all! I have never noticed any self-sown seedlings though (I have clay soil).
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I go with the grass theory.
Also a cyclamen corm that size is to be prized, I would tip the bin out, run away and then rescue it when the flies disappear!
Lizzie27 - never crossed my mind it could be Cyclamen because there had only been a couple of leaves on them for years and hate to upset you but that was the SMALLEST one of 4. If you weren't so far away I'd let you come and tip the bin out...I think there are a couple of rotting bananas in there. Never seen Couch Grass that "tough" before, but could be wrong. I've had more luck with Cyclamen, in the past, by treating them as house plants.
Everyone - thanks for all your feedback. I think I'm going to have to tackle the ones that are furthest out into the lawn and fork them up, working backwards towards the wall (before they spread much further). Unfortunately they have got themselves settled 3-4 foot into the grass, so I've got a lot of digging to do. And it's too hot to do more than a little bit in the early mornings.
I also have Blackbird but the flowers are a dark burgundy red/purple I am not sure which one I bought it was not in flower then. Thanks for the warning about it's
vigour.
'You must have some bread with it me duck!'
My cousin had it down in Calne and said it was the devil's own to get out and, having just spent a half hour digging some, I'd agree. He said it can grow up to 3 feet tall and you can see in this view, from the other direction, that the ones on the left are getting that way.
Problem is you find a teeny little "plantlet" with 4-5 leaves and fork it / start tugging and you end up with a rope like root going 3-4 foot in either direction - with another plant on the other end. Wish I'd tackled it earlier but it sprung up while I was on holiday and then I started looking around to try and find what it was, turned my back for a couple of weeks when it was too hot to go outside and - VOILA. The only &*£$&*()&*$$ thing in the garden that's actively growing!!!!
Going to have to try and get some cuttings off that Geranium but might lose it and everything else as the roots from this stuff are all over the place.