Weeds Have Rights Too !

[ScottBakula]

We , the weed collective have decided that its time to stand up for our weedy rights !
In particular at this time of the year all of our brethren are mercilessly up rooted and poisoned for no reason other than someone has decided that we are inferior to the flowers that humans like.

We bring nature back to derelict area's like neglected road side verges , abandoned gardens, cracks in paving stones , gaps in gutters and the brave ones even go up on to rooftops and live in the chimney stacks and gutters.

Nature isn't meant to be regimented with flowers in neat rows and groups so we come along and add a bit of normal back to your garden and what do you do ? You poison or up-root us . Which also can cause problems to your beloved plants.

We understand that you want things to look pretty, but please leave us a bit of space too.

We create just as much oxygen as your expensive roses and lilies , we feed bees , wasps and butterflies along with lots of other bugs.

We are just flowers that humans have decided they don't want , and that makes us sad.
Please help the weed collective by leaving us a little bit of your land and we promise that we will help to look after your environment.

( just incase nobody notices this is a bit tounge in cheek , but I do think that all plants help our environment and bees don't care if its a dandelion or prize rose that they get there pollen from)

More photos of our members , please feel free to nominate your own candidates

Our last few members , please nominate your own candidates

Got to admit, I like the lawn full of buttercup, dandelion, daisy, forget-me-not and clover. And a bit of grass in between. 😁

I de-weeded a summer garden once and felt very guilty for all the tons of varied wildlife I made homeless. We were selling up though so it had to be done.

I’m partial to weed, so all for weed related rights.

Currently enjoying self seeded wild poppies, oxalis and herb Robert.

@Cassieskinsismad , thank you for giving us a home in your lawn .
I hope when your house moving has settled you find a little space for us in your new garden.

@McTootsBagpipes poppies are our hero's, we know when they go out into the wilderness it's safe for us to follow .

Herb Robert sounds like a cool guy but I dont think I have ever met him.

Herb Robert gets everywhere. Very pretty. It speads across local gardens. The bees love it.

@McTootsBagpipes is it actually a herb or has it just pinched the title?

He sounds like a American Prof
'Doctor Herb Roberts' 😆

😂 great thread @ScottBakula ! On our property in Montana we've decided to.let the front and back gardens be native this year. The weedflowers that are coming up are amazing...all shapes sizes and colours. The deer love to hide in them and even saw a fox last week🦊🦌

Is he the local dealer?

I have this growing by my front door. No idea what it is, but I’ve never seen a plant that is this popular with wasps. It’s literally heaving with them.

Unfortunately, I’m allergic to wasps so having them this close to the house is not ideal!

I really need to find out what the plant is. If it doesn’t flower long, I will leave it. If I have weeks of this to look forward to, it’ll have to go. It’s all about balance, isn’t it? - there’s space for nature in my garden, but I also need a bit of space for me

This is Herb Robert @HelpMeGetThrough @ScottBakula

https://www.rhs.org.uk/weeds/herb-robert

It used to be used as a medicinal herb.

I leave a little of my garden over to the weed collective! It's messy but good for nature

I let buttercups, dandelions and daisies come up in my lawn, I don't rush out with the lawnmower at the first sign of any of them. I also have Scarlet Pimpernel in the garden border and the little blue flower that I think is also a weed. I leave those.

I do have problems with brambles, bindweed (it strangles my shrubs and plants) and bastard bamboo, (I know bamboo's not a native weed) and I do resort to a bit of salt and white vinegar or a very careful squirt of weedkiller if I'm desperate, on all three as everything comes in from another garden and I just can't get rid of it despite having the border dug out twice. The bloody stuff just won't die!

Lots of wildflowers and weeds in my garden too, currently the clover in the (lawn) grass is full of bees.
the only thing I am really ruthless with is bramble, and horsetail. It's a losing battle with the horsetail, we have old quarries near us and it has been marching all around the lanes and the village, and has finally invaded us. Absolute b***d of a plant. We're surrounded by agricultural fields, so any weeding is like being king Canute! At least my weeds help the insects the sprayers destroy.

I think he has a project going on with the poppies .

@Sweetpea1532 we are happy to provide food for the local deers apparently they really like clover and cabbage type plants.

@RainOnTins i have no idea what that is but tbf i know bugger all about plants, hopefully someone will come along and identify it.
Its understandable that you dont want it near your house if you are allergic to wasps.
if you have a big enough garden could you transplant it to the very end of your garden ?

@Myblueclematis thankyou for letting all of our friends grow in your lawn 🙂.
Have you asked around to see if anyone has a panda you can borrow, that should sort out the bamboo issue 🐼 .
You found the scarlet pimpernel ! I think you ought to let the papers know , we will publish it in The Weedly News
We know that brambles are huge bullies and stop some of our more delicate brethren growing so we don't mind at all if you and @FizzingAda cut them right back but if you wait a few weeks until the fruit is ripe you could make this https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/blackberry-jam , its really easy.

@FizzingAda Have you tried threatening the horsetail with a whip and spurs ? I have no idea if it will work but it'll give your neighbours something to talk about especially if you do it dressed as king canute 👑 😆 .

@McTootsBagpipes Ah Mr Herb Roberts , nice to meet you. You are very pretty.

@BarBellBarbie thankyou very much , the weed collective really appreciate your donation.

Welcome to the weed collective everyone 🌾

Herb Robert is also known as 'death comes quickly' even though it's not toxic at all. Possibly because of the red of its leaves, it seems.

but why do some weeds take over like green alkanet and some come for years and then disappear for years like foxgloves. And do you call welsh poppies and evening primrose s weeds ?

Came across this amazing Fox & Cubs - seriously considering adding it to the beds, such a vibrant colour!

Also, have started using clover as a green mulch - finally something that keeps the cats from pooing everywhere.

That is interesting @BarBellBarbie thanks. It can look very red.

I love my purple toad flax and rosebay willow herb. Bind weed is a bit of a bind though. And brambles.

Oh it looks like you've got a few horrors to be honest there OP! Is that a bindweed flower I see? Horrible plant that spreads everywhere, is impossible to get rid off and strangles it's way up all your other plants. Ask me how I know!

Pretty sure I also see a dock leaf too, got my fair share of them too - ugly, huge tap root and a million seeds if you let them get that far.

Dandelions are ok but again they spread prolifically and the way the leaves grow mean they crowd out other stuff - tbh I mostly get rid of them. I'm also pulling out brambles and most of the nettles - plus desperate to get rid of the ground elder!

Why not have a garden full of really pretty wild flowers? I've planted ox eye daisies, musk mallow, scabious, knapweed, red campions, birds foot trefoil and have Herb Robert, Speedwell, Self Heal, Clover, Vetch, Bugleweed, Yarrow etc that were there already there. I'm all for wild flowers - just not the really big, ugly invasive ones!

For the first time I have a patch of nettles in my garden and I'm as happy as a clam about that 😃

I have given up fighting ground elder in one corner and it's flowering its head off. Quite pretty! I also give a home to varying vetches, fox and cubs/hens and chickens , fumitory and wood avens. Have also made my peace with giant willowherb in the hope of attracting hawkmoths