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Weed or not?

Katy10Katy10 Posts: 11

hi guys, 

im a novice gardener but am giving it my best shot and loving it!

last year was the first year in our house so was our first shot at creating borders which I overfilled with flowers slightly.... This year I have some plants that have cropped up that I don't recognise, many I have been able to find online but there are 2 I cant find, I don't know if they are weeds so was wondering if someone with more experience could help.

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  • Katy10Katy10 Posts: 11

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  • Katy10Katy10 Posts: 11

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  • fidgetbonesfidgetbones Posts: 17,442

    Top one Linaria purpurea.

    other look like Achillea

  • Katy10Katy10 Posts: 11

    Thanks! are they worth keeping in the border? 

  • nutcutletnutcutlet Posts: 27,361

    I like the linaria but some consider it a weed

    Achillea is very varied in colour, let it flower and see if you like it.



    In the sticks near Peterborough
  • Katy10Katy10 Posts: 11

    thanks, I grew a lot of 'meadow garden' mixes from seed last year so it must be those coming back even larger this year after bedding in.... They do look very 'meadowy' so that's where they must have come from. 

    Another question... Sorry to be a pain, I had foxgloves last year but they haven't made a reappearance this year even though I was certain they were perennials, should they have started to shoot again by now? 

  • Ladybird4Ladybird4 Posts: 37,268

    Hi Katy. Foxgloves are biennials. They grow a big rosette of leaves in their first year and then flower in the second year. Maybe yours have missed a season.

    Cacoethes: An irresistible urge to do something inadvisable
  • ButtercupdaysButtercupdays Posts: 4,502

    If you don't deadhead foxgloves they self-seed, and are then perennial in the sense you have always got them.  If you haven't weeded too enthusiastically you may find some babies around that will flower next yearimage

    Last edited: 24 May 2016 07:48:22

  • MeelyMeely Posts: 79

    If your foxgloves flowered last year and you want flowers this year you need to put in some large specimens (they should have flower spikes). If you then let them self seed you should get flowers every year. so basically plant two years in a row for flowers every year

  • Katy10Katy10 Posts: 11

    Thanks this has been really helpful... I'm going to have a closer look around where they were for seedlings.... There have been loads of 'weeds' sprouting up around where they were so I'm hoping I haven't pulled them all up! ?

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