Another thing I hate is vinca minor, it's hard to pull up and it's smothering everything at one end of my big border. Will have to do a big digging job on it this winter. Don't know where it came from, I never planted it and there wasn't a bed there before, wasn't even a garden.
Someone gave me some plants that I put in another bed, including that big rudbeckia and he must have had that spreading yellow lamium because it's grown like wildfire. Quite pretty leaves and pulls up OK, but it just makes more work.
Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
Hi all. Last for the moment. Another plant, a real spreader but on the surface and not difficult ( I found) to keep back although it always meant business. I grew it as attractive ground cover for a difficult dry place - called Ceratostigma plumbaginoides. About 8-12 inches high it has wiry stems and smallish oval leaves a proportion of which turn a real scarlet in Autumn when it flowers with lovely true blue flowers - look very nice together. I grew it under a couple of conifers I had removed the lower branches from and it was always very dry there. Once established it seemed happy and I was always having to keep at it to keep it in check ( not hard work) - thought the effort was worth it mind ( to me) for the result. See you later.
Hi Busy-Lizzie. Just a quickie. I have had the same problem with the yellow Lamium but as you said the foliage looks good. I suppose its like all those sort of plants when they get themselves into an umwanted position they are a real nuisance but in the right place out of mischief they serve a useful purpose. I had this happen to me quite a few times with "little strangers" turning up in plants given me( shared) and eventually all offerings got a good combing and washing before planting - it helped but even so a tiny scrap was missed somewhere. Oh well all part of gardenening but as you said its all work and I beleieve you have a really large plot do you not. Regards.
Some more seed weeds, Erinus alpinus, Viola cornuta alba, Viola corsica, Solidago, Funny that Viola cornta itself is not so bad. Lathyeus vernus seeds around a lot, but I wish L. aureus would do.
Hi all. Ref that flowering lettuce I mentioned earlier on but could not remember the name. A Guinness has helped stir the remaining grey matter a little and its first name has come to me - its Mulgedium whatever. I have looked on PC and found two versions of it but these both seem to have narrow leaves - mine were distinctly lettuce like. That second part was something along the lines of bourgettii or bourgii - I will keep looking.
Hi Berghill. I am very interested in your comments - you condemn whole families of plants for being a nuisance - plants which many of us love as I do. You are obviously a very knowledgeable and experienced gardener - also going by the names you have been mentioning very discerning. Several varieties of the same plant for instance suggest this to me and I could believe you are a botanist and have a botanists garden. What bothers me is that if that is so how did you come to plant these "rejects" in the first place. Love to hear your comments and please do understand this is a genuine thought from me and tendered with the greatest respect.. Goodneess knows I have made many many mistakes in my plant selection but we all live and learn as I like to think I have. Be really nice to have a natter and get your views. Best wishes.
Planted them because I like them.....mostly. All I am doing is reporting the plants which have been over enthusiastic in their colonisation of our space.
Another one is Polemonium caruleum, seeds all over the place, Verbena bonariensis does too. And remembered the ones I meant to add, all Thalictrum except T kiusianum which I cannot get to grow.
and I do not condemn all members of a genus because some are a bit of a problem. They would not be a trouble if we got round to dead heading them as one should.
Take Alliums for example I grow dozens of species and some of them are difficult, the Californian ones especially, but they all have the potential to become a problem.
Just thought of another one, Sedum kamtschaticum, now that IS a dratted nuisance.
Posts
Another thing I hate is vinca minor, it's hard to pull up and it's smothering everything at one end of my big border. Will have to do a big digging job on it this winter. Don't know where it came from, I never planted it and there wasn't a bed there before, wasn't even a garden.
Someone gave me some plants that I put in another bed, including that big rudbeckia and he must have had that spreading yellow lamium because it's grown like wildfire. Quite pretty leaves and pulls up OK, but it just makes more work.
Hi all. Last for the moment. Another plant, a real spreader but on the surface and not difficult ( I found) to keep back although it always meant business. I grew it as attractive ground cover for a difficult dry place - called Ceratostigma plumbaginoides. About 8-12 inches high it has wiry stems and smallish oval leaves a proportion of which turn a real scarlet in Autumn when it flowers with lovely true blue flowers - look very nice together. I grew it under a couple of conifers I had removed the lower branches from and it was always very dry there. Once established it seemed happy and I was always having to keep at it to keep it in check ( not hard work) - thought the effort was worth it mind ( to me) for the result. See you later.
Hi Busy-Lizzie. Just a quickie. I have had the same problem with the yellow Lamium but as you said the foliage looks good. I suppose its like all those sort of plants when they get themselves into an umwanted position they are a real nuisance but in the right place out of mischief they serve a useful purpose. I had this happen to me quite a few times with "little strangers" turning up in plants given me( shared) and eventually all offerings got a good combing and washing before planting - it helped but even so a tiny scrap was missed somewhere. Oh well all part of gardenening but as you said its all work and I beleieve you have a really large plot do you not. Regards.
Hi Tina-Tuirner. Yerse indeedy I also can think of quite a few.
Some more seed weeds, Erinus alpinus, Viola cornuta alba, Viola corsica, Solidago, Funny that Viola cornta itself is not so bad. Lathyeus vernus seeds around a lot, but I wish L. aureus would do.
Still more seed weeds in my garden to come.
Hi Berghill. My friend you must be very busy trying to keep that lot under control. Good luck and your comments interesting.
Hi all. Ref that flowering lettuce I mentioned earlier on but could not remember the name. A Guinness has helped stir the remaining grey matter a little and its first name has come to me - its Mulgedium whatever. I have looked on PC and found two versions of it but these both seem to have narrow leaves - mine were distinctly lettuce like. That second part was something along the lines of bourgettii or bourgii - I will keep looking.
Hi Berghill. I am very interested in your comments - you condemn whole families of plants for being a nuisance - plants which many of us love as I do. You are obviously a very knowledgeable and experienced gardener - also going by the names you have been mentioning very discerning. Several varieties of the same plant for instance suggest this to me and I could believe you are a botanist and have a botanists garden. What bothers me is that if that is so how did you come to plant these "rejects" in the first place. Love to hear your comments and please do understand this is a genuine thought from me and tendered with the greatest respect.. Goodneess knows I have made many many mistakes in my plant selection but we all live and learn as I like to think I have. Be really nice to have a natter and get your views. Best wishes.
Planted them because I like them.....mostly. All I am doing is reporting the plants which have been over enthusiastic in their colonisation of our space.
Another one is Polemonium caruleum, seeds all over the place, Verbena bonariensis does too. And remembered the ones I meant to add, all Thalictrum except T kiusianum which I cannot get to grow.
and I do not condemn all members of a genus because some are a bit of a problem. They would not be a trouble if we got round to dead heading them as one should.
Take Alliums for example I grow dozens of species and some of them are difficult, the Californian ones especially, but they all have the potential to become a problem.
Just thought of another one, Sedum kamtschaticum, now that IS a dratted nuisance.
...thank you for the information about your hat..... I thought as much...
you're modesty knows no bounds Keen... but it was bold of you to post a photo.. I doubt many of us are likely to follow suit...