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Are these all weeds?

MessynessyMessynessy Posts: 81
in Plants


I’ve decided to start digging some borders as the edges of my lawn are mostly weeds with very little grass anyway. Before I start can anyone tell me if these are all weeds or something worth keeping? 

Posts

  • AnniDAnniD Posts: 12,585
    I think the one nearest to the grass (with several stems) might be a Linaria.
  • BorderlineBorderline Posts: 4,700
    The long large leaves might be Arum Maculatum. Some people might regard it weedy because it spreads. The spiky grey leaf plant is Linaria Purpurea, Toadflax. A plant that can self seed readily in perfect conditions, so it might be creeping in from your neighbour's side of the fence of self seeded.
  • pinkskyinthecitypinkskyinthecity Posts: 109
    I think the top grey one is a buddlea - maybe? 
  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505
    They are weeds or wildflowers depending on the kind of garden you want. I would keep the toadflax and get rid of the rest unless there's somewhere you would like to have a buddleia
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • MessynessyMessynessy Posts: 81
    Thank you all. I think I’ll keep the toadflax. Do you think it will mind being moved? I hadn’t thought about buddleia, but if it survives being potted up then I’ll happily find somewhere for it. My garden is rather sparse at the moment so I’m happy to grow anything that is happy in it. 
  • CanterburyBellsCanterburyBells Posts: 7
    I moved into my house a year ago, and found my flowerbeds had little in them and what was there was almost entirely weeds and wildflowers. I got rid of some stuff, but kept the Toadflax. Personally, I really like it, as it adds colour to my borders, the bees & butterflies love it, and it's very low maintenance. Like you, I found a little Buddleia in the wrong place, so dug it up, planted it in a better location, and its now turned into a shrub of almost my height in just one year! If you don't mind a bit of a rustic garden kind of look, I think both these plants are pretty, and very low maintenance :) I don't have any Arum Maculatum myself, but I've seen it elsewhere and the spikes bearing orange berries look nice in the autumn, but I suppose it can look rather drab and weed-like the rest of the year. You could always plant something in front of it that would flower in spring to summer, though, and then die down in time for the striking orange berries of the Arum Maculatum to show in autumn?
  • MessynessyMessynessy Posts: 81
    Thanks @CanterburyBells. I had a little Google and I read that Arum Maculatum is highly toxic so with small children playing in the garden I think I’d rather get rid of it. 
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    I don't see any Buddleia there. 
    I'd just dig everything out and get on with prepping and planting what you actually want. The linaria would be the exception. There looks as if there's possibly some Cerastium - just between the linaria and where folk think there's a buddleia.
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • AnniDAnniD Posts: 12,585
    edited February 2022
    I am forever moving Toadflax around @Messynessy :)
    As long as it's not out of the ground for too long it will be fine. It's also easy to pull up if it turns up in the wrong place.
    I would pot up the possible buddleia, assuming you can get it out with a reasonable root section, and see what happens. It does look "buddleia like", but might turn out to be something else. If you're on good terms with your neighbours you could ask them what is growing on their side of the fence. 

    Remember, good preparation is the key with new flowerbeds. I'm sure that you'll get a lot of enjoyment from them  :)
  • GardenerSuzeGardenerSuze Posts: 5,692
    The Arum Maculatum may appear elsewhere in the garden as it readily seeds. Year one seedlings are easy to remove but yours has been there longer so you may need a spade and it easily snaps just below the surface.
    The Linaria will most likely be the purple' short lived but sets seed, sometimes too many seedlings. Linaria's come in Peach .White, Pinks and Purple which is dominant.
    Children may enjoy the buddleia or butterfly bush or simply remove it, again it is a plant that seeds well.
    I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
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