6 minute read
INTERIORS
Forget-me-nots can become a nuisance but lend cottage-garden charm in the right spot
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Friends or foes?
Which weeds stay and which go depends largely on the gardener, says Elly West, but there are some dos and don’ts
Often I’m asked whether something growing in a garden is a weed or not, and my answer is often the same. If you don’t like it, consider it a weed and get rid of it, and if you do like it, then call it a wildflower, not a weed. With the current trend towards growing more native plants and encouraging birds, bees and butterflies into our gardens, with wilder areas of woodland or meadow, the line between weeds and non-weeds becomes less distinct.
There are exceptions, of course, and certain plants are highly invasive and should always be removed, usually with chemicals and sometimes with professional help. Horsetail and Japanese knotweed spring to mind. However, others such as wild carrot, valerian, cow parsley and yarrow are finding their way into gardens at RHS Chelsea Flower Show, as well as our own plots.
A weed, according to my Oxford dictionary, is a ‘wild plant growing where it is not wanted and in competition with cultivated plants’. In a meadow, wild grasses and buttercups won’t be seen as a problem, whereas they may not be as welcome in a cultivated border or lawn. Some people deliberately cultivate a patch of stinging nettles for soup, butterflies, and homemade fertiliser. Forget-me-nots and daisies growing between the cracks in paving stones and walls soften the hard landscaping and add rusticity and cottage-garden charm. Aquilegias pop up everywhere in my garden, but I largely leave them alone. However, the ornamental bamboo (planted by my predecessor), I definitely consider a weed.
Red clover is sometimes planted as a ‘green manure’ to fertilise the soil where crops are to be grown. These fast-growing plants can be dug into the soil while still green to improve its structure and add nutrients. Lawn invaders such as daisies and dandelions upset some people more than others, and there’s a strong argument for tolerating a few of these ‘weeds’ to benefit early pollinators and help create a balanced ecosystem, avoiding sprays and chemicals.
Negative characteristics of so-called weeds are their ability to grow fast and produce an abundance of seeds, or they may have an extensive root system that spreads through the ground. Horsetail roots can be up to two metres deep, and Japanese knotweed can seriously affect the value of a property, as mortgage lenders won’t lend if a survey reveals its presence. While it’s not illegal to have Japanese knotweed in your own garden, you do have to stop it spreading to other people’s gardens, and it’s an offence to plant it in the wild. This notorious weed can grow up to 20cm a day, through concrete foundations and brick walls. Eek.
Giant hogweed is another to avoid as the poisonous sap can cause blindness and severe burns to the skin. It’s a striking plant, similar to cow parsley, but reaching up to three metres in height, and has hit the headlines this summer as its population is spreading from riverbanks into parks and roadsides, causing injuries to children and adults unaware of its dangers. Recent legislation has made it an offence to grow giant hogweed, and sightings should be reported to the local authority.
Others such as Spanish bluebells are beloved in spring, yet could be classed as a weed because of their ability to spread and their anti-social nature, causing the demise of our native bluebell where escapees have got into our woodlands.
Which weeds stay and which go depends largely on the gardener, and there are several methods of removal. Probably the best way to control weeds is to prevent them taking hold in the first place. Adding a thick layer of mulch will act as a weed suppressant, and planting densely so there isn’t much spare, bare soil between your cultivated plants also helps. Using weed-suppressing membrane and planting through gravel is another answer, although it’s not foolproof. Strong perennials can push their way through the membrane, while others will self-seed in the gravel – although the latter are relatively easy to remove.
Laying carpet or sheets of newspaper over a bare patch of land will also suppress undesirables by blocking out the light until you are ready to plant your desirables.
However, pulling out by hand, though time-consuming, is probably the most effective method of weed removal. Keep in mind that many perennials such as bindweed can regrow from just a small piece of root left in the soil, so always try to remove the roots as well. And never, ever rotavate a patch of soil containing brambles and/or bindweed as you’ll just be propagating thousands of new plants by chopping up the roots into tiny pieces. Annual weeds such as chickweed and groundsel can be dealt with by regular hoeing, slowing growth and preventing them from setting seed, which is a common method for allotment and vegetable gardeners where it’s relatively easy to hoe between the rows of crops. Elsewhere, cutting back the flowers before they turn into seeds will help stop weeds spreading, and is a good option for those wildflowers that look pretty but quickly lose their novelty once they are growing everywhere.
Chemical control should be a last resort, because of its negative impact on the environment, but is effective and may be necessary where aggressive weeds are taking over. It’s also the quickest way to deal with a large area such as a driveway – although boiling water is a more ecofriendly option. Be careful not to spray on a windy or wet day and choose a time when plants are in active growth, ie. spring onwards.
• ellyswellies.co.uk
Plant of the month: Blackberries
It’s prime blackberry-picking season, and while most of us won’t want Rubus fruticosus (brambles) taking over our borders, as part of a managed native hedge they can have a welcome place in gardens as well as the countryside, making for a prickly burglar-deterring barrier. Children reluctant to take part in country walks can often be lured outside with the promise of blackberries to pick, and they certainly feature heavily in my own Somerset childhood. Betterbehaved cultivated varieties for gardens are also available, compact and thornless, and even suitable for containers. They like a sunny, sheltered site and free-draining soil. ‘Sylvan’ and ‘Loch Ness’ are popular varieties, since you ask. The fruits are best picked when ripe and can be used to make jellies, jams and desserts, such as blackberry and apple crumble.
Create space with a garden room
