i've got this horrible weed - can anyone help identify it please?

[warthog]

i'm in south west london and my garden is infested with these horrible weeds. their roots are extremely difficult to get out and they just come back year after year.

they have elongated oval leaves, very furry and unpleasant to the touch and bright blue flowers that flower all through the warm months. if you don't pull them out, they flower, seed and then die, covering up all plants around them and then come up again.

any ideas?

[GentleOtter]

Is it comfrey ?. The picture shows the flower as pink but you get blue and white too.

[warthog]

no, that's not hairy enough. and the edge of the leaves are smooth, not jagged.

thanks though!

[policywonk]

Oh I've got these. My mate told me it's borage. Will try to find a pic.

[warthog]

no... i think i need to upload a pic...

[policywonk]

like this?

[GentleOtter]

borage

[LackaDAISYcal]

borage has jagged edge to the leaves as well i thought.

Are they forget me nots?

[warthog]

ok, couple of pics on my profile but to be honest they don't do the damn things justice. they have the most unbelievably hairy leaves and stems and you really don't want to touch them.

[warthog]

the heart-shaped leaf you can see in the first pic doesn't belong to weed.

[Megglevache]

Is the stem quite sting-y?

[Blu]

oh, yes, we have loads of that, too - whatever it is in the pic on your profile, warthog.

[QuintessentialShadow]

I had them.
Drenching them in weedkiller spray early in spring helps. On the leaves, the leaves soak up the poison.

I cant remember the name of the weedkilller though. It is a very obvious name.

[Megglevache]

Green Alkanet?

[warthog]

well the stem has got fine prickles that don't really sting but are unpleasant to touch.

[Megglevache]

maybe this

[warthog]

Megglevache - i think you've got it!!! thank you.

now how do i get rid of them without using toxic poison?

[Megglevache]

this way/

[Megglevache]

ooops maybe that was poo-poo link????

[warthog]

yes, just looked at that link. looked like a pretty toxic weedkiller...

[Megglevache]

get the dog/cat to wee on it?

I have a terrible fight with devil's foot- cannot shift it but at least your weed is pretty

[warthog]

hmmm yes, will be potty training dd1 soon, so perhaps she can do the job.

my sympathies. here's to obliterating weeds.

[GentleOtter]

You could dig it up and sell it to natural dyers.

[warthog]

hmm gentleotter, i could single-handedly supply the entire united kingdom with dye from these buggers. but i REALLY want to just never see them again.