Silly question about weeds...

[BlackOutTheSun]

How do you know whats a weed and what is a plant?

Going to tackle my garden which is very over grown

Just wanted to know what needs to be dug up to what can be left

[GwennieF]

A weed is just a plant in the wrong place. If you think a plant is pretty, leave it. Once you start clearing the obvious ones (big grasses, nettles, brambles) then it'll get a bit clearer...

[BlackOutTheSun]

Ooh I like the if its pretty leave it rule

Thank you

[MrsMangoBiscuit]

My garden has some very nice flowering weeds. They brighten it up, and stop next doors cat crapping everywhere, so they're staying! Anything that starts trying to take over gets hacked at. So far the St John's Wort is battling my rosemary bush, the rosemary is still winning though, so I'm not worried.

[onadifferentplanet]

Our house was built on what used to be meadowland and with all the rain we have had, all sorts of things have sprung up in my flowerbeds and its looking really pretty and full of lots of flowers which are pobably weeds but my garden has never looked better so I am leaving them where they are. I agree if it's pretty and you like it leave it where it is.

[RackandRuin]

Agree, keep them if you like them. You can pay a fortune for wild flowers in garden centres.

[KatyMac]

& if it's a plant but in the wrong place you can either pull it up & throw it away, (carefully) pull it up pot it & give it away or (carefully) pull it up & plant it somewhere else

There are no rules

[Thumbwitch]

Learn which are the ones that crawl all over the place, like celandine, periwinkles etc. They will quickly take over if you leave them and the roots are hard to eradicate.
Self-seeders can be a nuisance (many of them) - forget-me-nots, honesty, dandelions for example can cover a huge area very quickly.

But in the end, yes, weeds are just plants that are in the wrong place - so if you like them, leave them. :)

[BlackOutTheSun]

I'm like that there isn't any rules

Think I could get into this gardening business

[AMumInScotland]

If you like them, call them "native wildflowers" and pretend it's deliberate...

[MrsMangoBiscuit]

Periwinkles! Thank you, I've been trying to remember, then trying to google to find their name! We have lots of those, especially at the front, but I usually go out and rip up half of them when they start spreading. It's been working well so far, about 2 years, and we have nice free purple flowers. I do have to make sure I get the roots too though, or else they spring back up in no time. There's a front garden not far from me, it's a rockery that's covered in periwinkles, it does look fairly impressive in full bloom though.

[Thumbwitch]

Periwinkles are great for growing on rocky ground or under trees, where normal flowers don't like to grow - and they are pretty! just need to be kept in check :)

[BlackOutTheSun]

Well you lot have got me into trouble

Pulled out loads of plants that I didn't like the look of, dp then came home from work and pointed out that its actually a 'herb' garden.

So yes, I've manage to kill the herbs but have left some pretty weeds

[RackandRuin]

. Herbs are overrated.

[BlackOutTheSun]

I know, its not like we would even use them

Dp has replanted most of them while muttering something about bloody mumsnet

[MurielTheActor]

I agree that if they look nice then leave them - but on the whole weeds pull out more easily (unless it's Japanese Knot Weed...)
I was pulling out funny thin long leafed thing all over the place till I noticed one I'd left that had flowered into a lovely flat green flower and was told it's a type of euphorbia that is supposed to keep moles away - not that I have that problem. So i've stopped pulling them up.