Some plant ID-ing help, please.

[ShroomCuppaSoup]

We’ve moved house and the garden is lovely, but quite manicured. I posted about it here.
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/gardening/4458611-When-to-get-a-garden-maintenance-company-in

The house had been unoccupied for a few months when we moved in so the garden needs a bit of TLC. I’ve been weeding and dead-heading roses (still have a few blooming) but I’m very much more of an indoor gardener who is better with houseplants so I’m struggling to identify a few things, if anyone can help.

The two attached to this post seem to be intentional plants rather than weeds. Anyone know what they are, and if I need to do anything in particular with them?

And I think these might be weeds based on the location and how rapidly they’re growing. Not entirely sure though, so didn’t want to pull them out.

The first one rhododendron. The purple one could possibly pasqueflower flower. When your rhododendron finishes flowering, you should twist off the head flowers. They do not take to well to pruning.

The first is a rhododendron, the second is a weed. Not sure about the purple one but the last pic looks like parsley or similar.

The second one could be euphorbia. Use gloves when dealing it as the milky white sap is an irritant. Do not touch your face or eyes after touching it.

The last one might be a form of hardy hardy geranium. After flowering cut it back to ground level

1: Rhododendron,
2: euphorbia,
3: borage,
4: maybe sage, the picture is not very clear, and
5: maybe absynth? not sure it is, is it shrubby?

The last one is a California poppy; they have lovely bright flowers in shades from cream through yellow to orange. They self seed and will often pop up in the mist unlikely places

@ShroomCuppaSoup

We’ve moved house and the garden is lovely, but quite manicured. I posted about it here. www.mumsnet.com/Talk/gardening/4458611-When-to-get-a-garden-maintenance-company-in

The house had been unoccupied for a few months when we moved in so the garden needs a bit of TLC. I’ve been weeding and dead-heading roses (still have a few blooming) but I’m very much more of an indoor gardener who is better with houseplants so I’m struggling to identify a few things, if anyone can help.

The two attached to this post seem to be intentional plants rather than weeds. Anyone know what they are, and if I need to do anything in particular with them?

Rhododendron. Looks a bit pale and sickly to me. Perhaps soil is not acid enough,

Second is Euphorbia (weed!). Sap can be an irritant so use gloves to pull

@ShroomCuppaSoup

And I think these might be weeds based on the location and how rapidly they’re growing. Not entirely sure though, so didn’t want to pull them out.

Borage and Californian poppy.

Borage is LOVED by bees and apparently good with gin.

Cal poppy is a lovely hardy annual

I'd keep both

Are you in the UK? - it's very early for Borage to be out although that's what it looks like.

@squashyhat

Are you in the UK? - it's very early for Borage to be out although that's what it looks like.

I've got some that self seeded and is flowering. It doesn't seem to care....

I've got an app called plant net (there are others), you take a photo of the plant and it tells you what it is!

To help your rhododendron you can mulch it with ericaseous compost and give a sequestrion of iron liquid feed.

I’m so glad I posted!

Sorry, should’ve made it clearer that pics 4 and 5 were of the same plant.

Will definitely be keeping the rhododendron, poppies, and borage. Will also see what I can do to improve the soil. The rhododendron is in a bed with roses and the soil does seem quite loamy.

Will get the gloves on and tackle the euphorbia this weekend.

Thanks everyone!

The Euphorbia looks like E peplus, Petty Spurge. It’s too small to have a lot of sap, and it pulls up easily usually without breaking, so don’t be too daunted.

It’s an annual plant, freely seeding, so you will be seeing it a lot in coming years

If your Rhododendron is growing healthily with green leaves, you have acid soil. If the leaves are looking yellow, then you are on neutral to alkaline soil.

@Indecisivelurcher

I've got an app called plant net (there are others), you take a photo of the plant and it tells you what it is!

It gives you a suggestion of what it is, but doesn’t have the knowledge or self awareness to know when it’s got it wrong. So use its identification as a starting point not as a definitive answer.