Am I nurturing a weed again

primrosecottage

Please say it's a precious self seeder

It has little yellow buds on the top

 And is nearly as tall as the delphinium next to it

Dovefromabove

Wild mustard - usually regaded as a weed in most well-kept gardens

primrosecottage

Thanks Dove wrists duely slapped I'll remove it tomorrow

November Member

I would have agreed with advice in years gone by, but now think that letting any weed? flower will give life to other things in the garden, bees,butterflys, also perhaps pleasure to your eyes and even nose .

When seed pods form then remove, and if an annual it will die and its goodness go back into the soil,and be food for worms. 

Dovefromabove

November - I did say 'usually' and 'most' ............. and I didn't recommend pulling it up ..... I've been known to sow the seeds of plants 'most' people regard as weeds ..... Jack by the Hedge for instance

Loxley

I like Jack By The Hedge too.



It's no less garden worthy than a lot of 'choice' perennials imho. Plus nothing muchelse will grow under our trees.

November Member

 

Thanks  Dovefromabove and WillDB.

This year because of a  recent THR (total hip replacement) I have been forced to let just about everything grow, and what an eye opener it has been.

It has changed my way of thinking and instead of trying to defeat nature my garden is now full of plants that have self seeded and have made it so much more interesting to see them all thriving without the constant "weed --Weed ---get rid of them at once.

It is now as nature intended , priceless,and so much more exciting.

Most gardeners ,and myself some week's ago, would say the garden is a mess but I can now see how ignorant and brainwashed I have been not to see the beauty of letting plants survive .

 

 

Dovefromabove

Hope the new hip is performing well

We have two large ash trees at the end of our garden and just a few feet down a layer of chalk, so the tree roots are all near the surface - we're encouraging native hedgerow-type plants in that area - little else will grow without a lot of watering, and the birds, bees,, amphibians and hedgehogs love it

nutcutlet

I have a good collection of native plants. I love them and all the wildlife they bring in..

Good to see another convert NM

wishbone

Nature is always beautiful and also can be a thug. Since all cultivated plants were once weeds (naturally growing plants) and weeds are said to be plants in the wrong place (by whose perception?) I`m a sucker for letting them grow whenever possible within limits just removing those that are threatening to strangle things I want to thrive and removing seed heads to prevent all out war!

Exceptions are ground elder, Japanese knotweed, mares tails, and bindweed which will kill everything else in sight and are practically impossible to eradicate once allowed to get a foot in the door.

Good luck with your recovery November, I missed Spring in my garden too this year through illness and agree with your sentiments.

primrosecottage

Oh no!! now I feel really bad I have only just popped into the forum and have already removed the mustard plant  .  it hasn't made the garden look any more WELL KEPTand it did put up a bit of a fight but not as much as the creeping butercup in the wild/cutting flower patch(I could identify that one)