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mystery perennial plus an infestation!

rebeccamM6CA_Gn6rebeccamM6CA_Gn6 Posts: 133
in Problem solving
Hello! Hope you are all well? I moved into an established but much "unloved" clay south facing garden in late last winter and have watched the garden come to life gradually. This plants novice identification skills! It has grown vigorously in the south facing heavy soiled garden, but no flowers to speak of. The garden had many invasive species when we arrived and was bramble covered and barren in many areas, so I would love to know if this plant is a friend or foe. However over the past month of hot weather I have noticed that it has become infested with tiny flies, which I think might be aphids (!) ? - So really not sure at all what to do here! Any help in any form would be really marvellous.


Posts

  • rebeccamM6CA_Gn6rebeccamM6CA_Gn6 Posts: 133
    I've just boiled up some rhubarb leaves and sprayed on once cooled, let's see!
  • AsarumAsarum Posts: 661
    Leucanthemum x superbum, Shasta daisy I think.  https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/98781/Leucanthemum-x-superbum/Details

    East Anglia
  • rebeccamM6CA_Gn6rebeccamM6CA_Gn6 Posts: 133
     You are 100% right! thank you Asurum! Plus I just read that they are susceptible to aphids and so that all falls into place it seems. Thank you so much for solving this. Aesthetically that would not be my choice for several large clumps around the garden, as I'm not a huge fan of this kind of thing but hey ho! It's my first ever patch of garden (and rented too) so will learn to appreciate it :) Aphids have been sprayed with rhubard water and will blast them tomorrow with my garden hose. Fingers crossed....
  • gilliang67gilliang67 Posts: 11
    I think the leaf looks like a white "shasta" type daisy leaf, I find if you leave the aphids....something will eat them, all mine disappear if I forget about them. The Eco w.u.liquid with calendula in is good but hopefully something good will feed on them. Had a look at your mystery bulb, not sure, how big was the bulb, roughly.
    Fox family all still together, digging up garden and lawn, and leaving pop around. She's not happy. 
  • rebeccamM6CA_Gn6rebeccamM6CA_Gn6 Posts: 133
    Oh thank you! Yes indeed it is a shasta after all. Mystery bulb turned out to be a freesia - I emailed my RHS experts 🙂 so that’s a little mystery solved. Next time I will use the little wooden sticks I’ve just purchased as labels 🤓. This may sound mad regarding the foxes, but I had a huge family once in a large garden. I used to feed them food scraps. Because they had food they never once dug up the lawn. They only dig to find worms when hungry. But for the poop I don’t know, that’s a more difficult thing! And not nice to deal with....
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