Ground creeping purple weed.

[maldivemoment]

Hi Folks

Moved into new house. All around the edges of the garden, mostly against the walls, there is a fast growing, creeping weed with lovely little purple flowers.
what is it & how do I get rid of it? Do I just keep pulling it out as it appears?

Thank you in advance

Are you sure it's a weed or is it creeping thyme?

I think I know what you mean OP because I have it too, as does my DM at her house. It's very invasive, but not thyme. Watching this with interest to see suggestions.

Crikey. I’m such a novice. Definitely not creeping thyme. That’s beautiful if it’s your garden @ohfook

Im assuming the stuff we have is a weed.

Just a guess, since there is no picture to identify it by, but probably Ivy Leaved Toadflax (Cymbalaria muralis)?
Very pretty and brillliant for 'softening' the look of hard surfaces and walls, but, yes, very vigorous and can be invasive

Loads of weeds with purple flowers.

Any photos?

I have toadflax running wild in my garden, and I love it. It grows all around the walls of my house, and looks really pretty! I also have borage everywhere, and a bit of garden that I don't mow because it has drifts of mayweed, which has big daisy like flowers. I am firmly of the opinion that a weed is only a weed if you don;t want it - otherwise its a plant!
Toadflax is easy to pull out if you don't want it though

Periwinkle? I have that and it spreads everywhere but tbh I kind of like it

Herb Robert - lacy leaves and small pinky purple flowers

Just googled it and the one we have is called vinca oxyloba

I think it could be 'selfheal'. We have it and it's really invasive. I pull it out of borders and tubs but it's spreading on our lawn so I'll probably have to go down the chemical treatment route.

Thank you @Hedgesfullofbirds
Definitely toadflax.
it does look pretty. Should I leave it?

I’m thinking of buying some toadflax, it’s lovely!

It is pretty! But, as said, can become invasive - I have it and allow it to grow, but also remove some to keep it under control. Like all wild flowers ( not weeds, since there is no such thing!), it can be as beautiful, if not more so, than any expensive cultivated plant from a garden centre or nursery, and has a place in any garden which is not manicured to death or unnatural. Your choice OP, but, apart from being a vigorous grower, it is not toxic or likely to cause any harm or damage to your property

I keep toadflax and relocate when it self seeds, it is lovely.
I thought it'd turn out to be vinca/periwinkle which can be really invasive in some soils. You can't be too black and white about these things though as something manageable in one soil/location can be a nightmare in another (the city gardens in Edinburgh are often choked with periwinkle).

Ha I'd love to pretend but it's definitely not my garden! It's just the pic that came up when I googled creeping thyme to check that it was actually purple.

I have toadflax and love it...it looks so pretty growing in the cracks of patio etc. Here it is in my garden

Leave it if you like it. It’s shallow rooted and can easily be pulled up from places you don’t want it.

It’s not a native plant, it was introduced into this country, albeit several hundred years ago

I would have thought it was an enhancement to any lawn. Irritating in a border maybe (it doesn’t grow well around here, getting it to grow at all is the real problem), but it takes well to the mowing regime of a lawn

I love toadflax! I mainly leave it in place.