Persicaria campanulata seems like a plant you should burn or put in the dustbin. Don't compost or give to green waste bags as its national spread is down to rooting from tiny bots of discarded rhizomes.
Thanks everyone for your replies. I think like most people I'd always assumed that things for sale in garden centres had passed some sort of non-invasiveness control and would therefore be safe to plant in a garden. @Fire is no doubt correct that the majority of the worst offenders were Victorian imports, but although we're living in an age of rules and regulations it still seems
to be left up to individuals to spot things getting out of hand. Just like the pet discussion I'm sure the people on this forum are all responsible owners, the ones who aren't probably aren't here, and I'm afraid I don't share @Hostafan1 's faith that we learn from historical errors - how else do you explain people still saying England can win the World Cup.
“Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm.” Winston Churchill
I'm afraid I don't share @Hostafan1 's faith that we learn from historical errors - how else do you explain people still saying England can win the World Cup.
My P. campanulata is already bagged up in thick black bags and will remain there until it is 100% rotted!
I do that with all nasties, like ground elder, docks and nettles, that I want to keep under control in parts of the garden. It is big enough for plenty of wild corners where they can flourish and do their bit for wildlife, but I want some bits that I can enjoy too
We used to have a long border of leylandii, and noticed that in a few places it was dead, on closer inspection every dead part of the hedge had Bracken springing up. Along the verges in the lane there used to be wild flowers daffodils and other bulbs, the Bracken has now taken over and the flowers are getting less and less each year. They used to burn it on the moors but I don’t think they’re allowed to anymore.
Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor.
One man or woman's weed is the other persons Flower, Cure all, herb. had Rhododendron's for years no bother Daughter as well. My Dad used to say if you cannot eat it or sell it then do not grow it. My first Garden after I married I filled with Wall Flowers for the colour and scent in an ongoing project, Dad's reaction what are you growing weeds for? My Herb Patch is mainly for the flowers though it does have culinary uses although using it all I would need a works canteen kitchen. We grow what we enjoy and often disagree on what that means, a garden down the road is a mass of ferns, why, drive 20 minutes up onto the moors and you can see them as far as the Horizon but the people obviously like ferns so why knock it A lady in our area has been told to get rid of the rose bushes on her walls she has had for years, a Council order because they think it not suitable for the area? I suppose those same people would have all the trees cut down for H&S reasons and grassed areas tar-mac. you cannot please all the people and i do not try, I grow what I like not what is in fashion. Frank
"A lady in our area has been told to get rid of the rose bushes on her
walls she has had for years. A council order because they think it not
suitable for the area".
I've seen mind- your- own- business for sale in garden centres. Also I often see that people are willing to pay for invasive plants like vinca. I spend many ' happy' hours digging the damned stuff out!
Frank the issue arises when what you grow in your garden escapes and encroaches on your neighbours and the wild, i.e. just like the cats. I've realised now that the plant I was referring in my original post which is growing all along the canal bank is Rhodedendron ponticum. The following is from an article about it in the Telegraph:
"The Forestry
Commission has found that it can significantly reduce the numbers of
earthworms, birds and plants in the area and it is also considered to
be toxic to herbivores.
Other habitats of
small mammals, such as the dormouse, have also been badly affected
due to the smothering effect of the rhododendron on native plants."
And yet if you google it and look at the shopping tab it is freely available to purchase and plant all over your garden if you like, as people have done around here. I don't blame people for doing so as you have to hunt for information, I'm just surprised there isn't more of a supply-side control of known invasive plants. What's the equivalent of a neutering programme for feral plants?
“Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm.” Winston Churchill
Posts
Along the verges in the lane there used to be wild flowers daffodils and other bulbs, the Bracken has now taken over and the flowers are getting less and less each year.
They used to burn it on the moors but I don’t think they’re allowed to anymore.
We grow what we enjoy and often disagree on what that means, a garden down the road is a mass of ferns, why, drive 20 minutes up onto the moors and you can see them as far as the Horizon but the people obviously like ferns so why knock it
A lady in our area has been told to get rid of the rose bushes on her walls she has had for years, a Council order because they think it not suitable for the area? I suppose those same people would have all the trees cut down for H&S reasons and grassed areas tar-mac. you cannot please all the people and i do not try, I grow what I like not what is in fashion.
Frank
Also I often see that people are willing to pay for invasive plants like vinca. I spend many ' happy' hours digging the damned stuff out!