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)

Bindweed is so pretty when it flowers but I wish it would stick to the places where I want it to be, instead of just wandering across the garden all willy nilly.

Thank you, @RumNotRun , I’ll try that. x

Thought I’d add a couple of two of my favourite spring plants to this thread - alkanet and columbines. I think alkanet is naturalised rather than native, and god knows if the columbine has popped in and out of cottage gardens. But pretty! Borage hasn’t started yet.

I have a patch at the end of my front garden that has a couple of trees growing and I leave it to grow wild. I'm fascinated by the plants that grow there. DP calls it the spinney.

How are everyone’s weeds doing? My common mallow is flowering. Not sure if it got here all by itself, or if it was part of some wildflower mix DH planted a few years ago, but it’s very popular with bees - I saw honey bees and 4 different types of bumble bees visit it in short succession

My oregano is happily taking over the area it's in, the ragwort is looking healthy but are new plants from last year. I still have two bare stems from last year's plants so I may dig them up if they're not going to do anything. I also have some herb robert and of course, my frenemy the bindweed. I did plant a few things this year. My dad gave me a dogwood cutting and that's doing well, plus I planted cat mint/nepeta which is looking very healthy. I think the weird weather this year of a week of rain, a few days of sun, back to rain, seems to suit the plants in my garden!

I've also had two crows visiting, who I have been trying to make friends with for over a year. They've finally realised I give out the good peanuts. I have named them Edgar Allan Crow and Leonard Crow-en. I'm reserving Kurt Crow-bain for a 3rd crow if one ever appears!

The weeds on my allotment are doing superbly ! Bindweed, nettles and marestail all thriving. I’ve been delighted to find lots of wildflowers too. Ox eye daisies, red campion, yarrow, salad burnet and stacks of borage . Friend gave me feverfew and I;ve introduced toadflax, primroses and cerinthe I am hoping will survive the bindweed.

Alkanet in home garden is fairly well behaved in the scheme of things.

Hello everyone, I am so glad everybody's weeds are doing well.
I have this lone little fella close to work , it's unusual to see just one so I am hoping more will pop up.

I have also seen some tiny little bright red butterflies, I tried to photograph it but the little bugger wouldn't keep still !

Now with photo 🌷

I only have two small ragworts this year but one is covered with cinnabar caterpillars, most of them are tiny so presumably recently laid/hatched/whatever caterpillars do. There are a couple of big fat ones too so I hope they leave some plant for their younger brothers and sisters.

That's beautiful @ScottBakula

Love your weeds @ScottBakula

How are everbodies weeds and 🐛 doing ?
There is some fenced off waste land near me and this has taken over it and made it look much nicer

My caterpillars are doing well but they have stripped the ragwort bare and are wandering round the garden to find more food. I have to pay close attention when I walk to make sure I don't tread on them.

I also saw this beautiful moth a couple of days ago. I love how much nature is appearing in my garden.

@ScottBakula i agree… those weeds make for a very pretty fence cover

@RumNotRun that moth is beautiful! Do you know the name of it?

@Sweetpea1532 it's a Jersey Tiger moth. As the name may suggest, they were originally only seen in the Channel Islands but have spread to South Wales in recent years

Thank you @RumNotRun for sharing …, no wonder I’ve not seen any like it nearby (California)

What about this little beauty? DH is laughing at me lovingly staking and watering it, but I think the flowers are beautiful.
The insects like it too.

That's an impressive looking moth @RumNotRun. I think I saw a bee hawk moth in my garden last week (looked like a hummingbird hawk moth, but the flight was silent). It wasn't interested in weeds, but obsessed with the Penstemon in my garden.

Love this. I have a lot of herb Robert doing its thing. Also rosebay willow herb. Petty spurge is pretty crap tho. Boring so I weed that one.

I have some Herb Robert in a dark corner, flowering where not much else will grow. I don't like it so much though, as I'm not keen on the smell.

I often say that to my DH @DeadBug and he has no idea what I’m talking about. Herb Robert smells so strong to me and it’s not a pleasant smell at all. Unfortunately the bees love it, so I feel a little guilty about taking it out.

I agree. I compromise and leave a little in. X

That little beauty is ‘great willowherb’ and I’ve always liked it. I should be able to get some nice pictures if Borage soon. Why is it that I always just leave one or two Borage plants, and end up with one or two every square yard?? 😂

Both useful plants - you can eat the new shoots of the great willow herb. I did once but can’t remember what they’re like, it was 30 odd years ago. I’m still here though!

I have a very long garden divided by a small fence. The far end is waist high with every weed imaginable!