What 'good' weeds are in your garden??

TimMAz6 · Post by **TimMAz6** » Fri Feb 17, 2012 6:26 pm

What plants self seed all over your yard but don't mind that much.

In my yard violets are all over the place:

<img src=http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/ ... 1May15.jpg>

Hostas come up everywhere too:

<img src=http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/ ... 1May14.jpg>

<img src=http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/ ... 1May13.jpg>

Butterfly bushes pop up all over the yard too........these grow way to fast!
<img src=http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/ ... sept58.jpg>

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Fri Feb 17, 2012 8:53 pm

Even weeds are a nice topic in winter, Tim

You've got such nice weeds! Hosta! maybe pot 'em up and sell 'em at spring sale.
Butterfly bush comes up all over my place too, Tim, but I spend a day in the Fall, digging and potting it up and giving it to my daughter for her acreage.

Periwinkle:

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/415573630/" title="mar 9b 07 003 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm1.staticflickr.com/147/41557 ... 5ccd_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="mar 9b 07 003"></a>

Sumac:

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/1545127384/" title="DSC00485 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2206/1545 ... 3cf3_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="DSC00485"></a>

Clover in ALL my potted plants.

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/3818386927/" title="DSC02737 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2486/3818 ... ef14_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="DSC02737"></a>

oh...and English Ivy when it gets under the siding!

Barb

canadianplant · Post by **canadianplant** » Sat Feb 18, 2012 3:26 am

Weeds are underrated and givin a bad rap. Most "weeds" we see are there for a reason. Lots of weeds can indicate thta your soil is lacking in nutients, or can indicate that your soil is fertile.

I have clover everywhere, in my lawn, in my garden beds and in my potted plants. ITs good in the garden because it nitrofies the soil, and attracts tons of beneficial insects. I do believe it is a nutrient accumulator as well. Im encouraging clover as a ground cover/green manure/cover crop. I have 2 or 3 kinds in my yard.

I also have nettle comming up. THis is usually a sign of evenly moist, fertile soil ( i didnt know this at the time, but I planted my apple tree diretly over a patch of the stuff). It is also one of the best plants to use as fertilizer. ITs ueful for tea, medicine, shampoo, and even food. Nettle has massive roots that bring up phosphates from the hard pan/subsoil. WHen they die, they put these nutrients in the top of the soil profile, fertilizing your soil fl of nitrogen and phosphates.

I also have what I know as "ground ivy", which I think is also called "creeping jenny?". THis stuff grows anywhere, full sun, dry spots, deep deep shade, and forms 2 inch thick mats. IT seems to be a decent ground civer, and bees go absolutely nuts for them. IT is also used as a "cure all" by herbalists. THe smell is intoxicating when you cut/crush the plant. IT smells like a minty cucumber.

I have tons of viola too comming up. IF the snow falls before it gets really cold, the wild viola come though the winter in full flower!. I also have tons, and tons of horseradish popping up. So far, this is the only one I have a "problem" with, due to the massive size of the tubors, and the fact it sets thousands of seeds.

THe one thing that is becomming a problem for me is grass. Yup the lawn grass. THis si the only thing im having a real problem with. IT always manages to make a comeback in the beds, IT uses way too much nitrogen, unless it can be interplanted with clover to reduce the need for the lawns tendancy to suck nitrogen from my garden beds.

TimMAz6 · Post by **TimMAz6** » Sat Feb 18, 2012 6:15 am

Hi Barb,

I hope that's not poison sumac!

Jesse,

Cool that horseradish is a weed. I've never tried it. What does the mature plant look like?

DesertZone · Post by **DesertZone** » Sat Feb 18, 2012 7:39 am

Larkspur

canadianplant · Post by **canadianplant** » Sat Feb 18, 2012 8:35 am

TimMAz6 wrote:Hi Barb,

I hope that's not poison sumac!

Jesse,

Cool that horseradish is a weed. I've never tried it. What does the mature plant look like?

They get about 2 or 3 feet tall, and grow in huge clumps.....

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Sat Feb 18, 2012 9:12 am

If it ain't a palm or cactus it's a weed in my yard.....

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Sat Feb 18, 2012 9:14 am

Tim, don't know the difference re poison Sumac.
Won't test to find out.

Aaron, the Larkspur is so pretty, goes so well with house color.

Jesse, horseradish. Now that's ugly.

Barb

igor.glukhovtsev · Post by **igor.glukhovtsev** » Sat Feb 18, 2012 9:30 am

Barb, this sumac tree fruits would be used for making food slightly acid. Yeah, the horseradish is too invasive.

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Sat Feb 18, 2012 9:32 am

would be used for making food slightly acid.

Cooking isn't a speciality of mine...

igor.glukhovtsev · Post by **igor.glukhovtsev** » Sat Feb 18, 2012 9:36 am

lucky1 wrote: Cooking isn't a speciality of mine...

But of Mr.H?

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Sat Feb 18, 2012 9:38 am

He's proof, Igor.
Very skinny.

TimMAz6 · Post by **TimMAz6** » Sat Feb 18, 2012 12:24 pm

Hi Aaron,

boy your weeds are REALLY good looking!!

Hi Jesse,

thanks for the photo. I'll guess you'll never be short of horseradish in a recipe!

Hi Barb,

I'm no expert on sumac but the ones around here either have a smooth leaf edge or a serrated leaf edge and it's my understanding the smooth leaf edge is the poisonous one. Why don't you cook some up and let us know if you break out in a rash!

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Sat Feb 18, 2012 1:43 pm

Fortunately, ours is the serrated edge Sumac.
So no cooking needed, but thanks.

DesertZone · Post by **DesertZone** » Sat Feb 18, 2012 4:05 pm

I have a friend that was out of TP and used some poison sumac up in the mountains....thats all I have too say about that.

TimMAz6 · Post by **TimMAz6** » Sat Feb 18, 2012 6:51 pm

Aaron...............wow, that blows!

canadianplant · Post by **canadianplant** » Sun Feb 19, 2012 6:57 am

TimMAz6 wrote:Aaron...............wow, that blows!

No tim, that wipes.... and burns!

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Sun Feb 19, 2012 8:14 am

out of TP and used some poison sumac up in the mountains.

Devotees of "no trace camping" have a ways to go to improve interracting with nature.
And its calls.