Would like some help with what these are please. Realise they may be "weeds" but the bees love them and they look nice. Sorry for the poor quality pics.
Top and bottom look like aquilegias, not a weed but self seeds around the place. Middle one is purple toadflax - I consider it a weed but I know some on here let it grow, it's quite pretty.
Yes, top and bottom are aquilegias/columbine/granny's nightcap. Pretty things that self-seed happily around your garden - I love them and so do the bees.
Purple toadflax is also loved by bees, and it's pretty - it can take over a bit so keep an eye on it, but if you like it it's a flower, not a weed
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Been trying to get some bee friendly plants for the garden so I figured that if the ones already there are liked by the bees then why not keep them. Need to put them in a different place though so does anyone know how to take seeds from them and will they just grow if I scatter them where I want them?
When the aquilegia seedpods ripen and begn to crack open, take them and shake out the seeds where you want them to be.
Take a good look at the leaves of the plants you have (maybe take a photo to remind yourself) then when they pop up in the spring you'll recognise them and know they're not weeds.
They may even begin to grow this autumn (depending on weather etc) and you can think them out a bit and transplant the little seedlings so they each have a bit of space to grow.
I keep finding them popping up in my veg patch (think the last owner but one had a flower border there) so when they've got three or four proper leaves I gently dig them up with a trowel and as much soil as I can, and move them over to the flower border.
I've had all sorts of really pretty colours come up as they're a bit promiscuous
As for the purple toadflax - it'll come up everywhere, in places you want it and in places you don't As with the aquilegias, take a good note of what the leaves look lime, then when you're weeding next spring you'll recognise it and you can leave them where you want them and pull them out where you don't
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
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Top and bottom look like aquilegias, not a weed but self seeds around the place. Middle one is purple toadflax - I consider it a weed but I know some on here let it grow, it's quite pretty.
Yes, top and bottom are aquilegias/columbine/granny's nightcap. Pretty things that self-seed happily around your garden - I love them and so do the bees.
Purple toadflax is also loved by bees, and it's pretty - it can take over a bit so keep an eye on it, but if you like it it's a flower, not a weed
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Thanks for the replies.
Been trying to get some bee friendly plants for the garden so I figured that if the ones already there are liked by the bees then why not keep them. Need to put them in a different place though so does anyone know how to take seeds from them and will they just grow if I scatter them where I want them?
When the aquilegia seedpods ripen and begn to crack open, take them and shake out the seeds where you want them to be.
Take a good look at the leaves of the plants you have (maybe take a photo to remind yourself) then when they pop up in the spring you'll recognise them and know they're not weeds.
They may even begin to grow this autumn (depending on weather etc) and you can think them out a bit and transplant the little seedlings so they each have a bit of space to grow.
I keep finding them popping up in my veg patch (think the last owner but one had a flower border there) so when they've got three or four proper leaves I gently dig them up with a trowel and as much soil as I can, and move them over to the flower border.
I've had all sorts of really pretty colours come up as they're a bit promiscuous
As for the purple toadflax - it'll come up everywhere, in places you want it and in places you don't As with the aquilegias, take a good note of what the leaves look lime, then when you're weeding next spring you'll recognise it and you can leave them where you want them and pull them out where you don't
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Thanks Dovefromabove, that's great advice. I'll wait for the seed heads to ripen and see what happens.
A weed is just a plant that grows where it wants,not where you want !