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Why on earth would anyone plant.....

(24 Posts)
Jaxjacky Mon 06-Jul-26 12:45:28

Definitely borage NS easy to pull up, but kept appearing.

NotSpaghetti Mon 06-Jul-26 11:53:42

Could your borage actually be Green Alkanet?
Borage has shallow weak roots but green alkanet is a thug.

Jaxjacky Mon 06-Jul-26 11:21:20

Borage, I know it’s pretty/used in Pimms/makes good liquid compost, but it spreads everywhere it’s not wanted.

NotSpaghetti Mon 06-Jul-26 10:43:42

The people before us in this house planted bamboo.
It grows half a dozen weedy shoots - all short. It's been here 20 plus years!

I have actually planted some of the "invasive" plants above and with the exception of toadflax (which is a blow-in) the only invasive species in my garden is sycamore!

henetha Mon 06-Jul-26 10:10:49

My bamboo is in an old galvanized dustbin which I inherited when I moved in here. I like the bit of privacy it gives me.

NotSpaghetti Mon 06-Jul-26 10:09:04

My husband loves purple toadflax!
grin
We have it in many pots at the front of our house and he's reluctant to pull it out!

merlotgran Mon 06-Jul-26 10:02:23

Linarea purpurea. (Purple toadflax) It seeds itself all over my gravel garden and takes over pots if not removed as soon as it’s spotted. 😡

Commonground Mon 06-Jul-26 09:54:01

I think I've eradicated the Japanese anemones from my back garden. I read somewhere that the white version, which is what I had, are less invasive than the pink, though.

Witzend Mon 06-Jul-26 09:21:28

M0nica

Add Japanese anenomes. The previous owner of our house did and then let the garden run wild, The roots grew up between the cement plinth along one side of our house and the brick house wall forcing a gap at the top so that when it rained the water ran between plinth and wall causing a damp problem indoors. It is costing an awful lot of money to remedy the situation.

I wish I’d never planted the wretch things - I hadn’t realised that they were so invasive! They’ve been popping up in the lawn for a while now.

One plan for the autumn, though, is to dig the whole lot up (a smallish bed next to the patio) and find something else that doesn’t mind shade for a good part of the day.

NotSpaghetti Mon 06-Jul-26 09:20:55

Acanthus is beautiful if you have a large border or want something dramatic in half shade near (say) a woodland patch.

I think the problem is in small gardens or where you need to keep passing it!

I'm loathe to dig ours out because it's really fabulous in bloom... but it really IS in the wrong place and our garden doesn't have a better one to move it to - it is a long and narrow garden with wiggly paths.

shysal Mon 06-Jul-26 09:13:08

Pampas grass! I really loath the plant. I read the other day that Alan Titchmarsh also dislikes them so I am in good company.
It is nothing to do with the rumour that it represents a property where 'swinging' takes place.

25Avalon Mon 06-Jul-26 09:06:50

Phlomis that a landscape gardener planted in huge clumps that were overwhelming. I removed it several years ago but it still keeps reappearing and spreading. I agree about Vinca. Also Phygelia which runs underground and throws up new plants. Never grow Sedges unless you want your garden colonised, and some Euphorbias also constantly reappear all over the place. I have zero tolerance for all of these.

MaizieD Mon 06-Jul-26 07:18:59

Allium triquetrum, also known as three cornered leek by wild food foragers.

A pretty little white allium which self seeds prolifically as well as multiplying via its bulbs. I’ve been trying to eliminate it for some 20 years. (I didn’t plant it, it came with the garden). Hybrid bluebells come a close second.

ginny Mon 06-Jul-26 06:29:37

Begonias. I just don’t like them.

Greyduster Mon 06-Jul-26 06:26:57

Perennial geranium. It self seeds everywhere and while it’s very pretty, it’s a complete thug and is taking over my garden. The more I yank it out, the faster it grows!

Commonground Mon 06-Jul-26 01:44:09

The acanthus I've been trying to remove today was planted by a previous owner. It's right next to my driveway and is about 5 ft tall, making reversing out a nightmare. Weed killer doesn't work because it just runs off the glossy leaves. Digging it out is such hard work and so time consuming because the roots break off so easily and it regrows from the tiniest bit left in the ground. I'm busy tomorrow and Tuesday, so round two will commence on Wednesday. sad

Casdon Sun 05-Jul-26 22:38:21

Montbretia. The bulbs seems to weld together, and trying to dig into them to reduce the size of a clump is like putting your spade into concrete.

Luckygirl3 Sun 05-Jul-26 22:25:26

My bamboo is in a large pot so.is contained.

Nannytopsy Sun 05-Jul-26 22:24:45

Arum italicum pictum. It spreads by little brown bulbils which are nearly invisible. And Vinca!

valdali Sun 05-Jul-26 22:20:10

I've got an established clump of bamboo that also screens us / neighbour. Clump-forming are OK I think (at least it hasn't offered to spread in 20 years).
I also have the creeping kind, but that's in raised bed. It's deciduous so I grow spring bulbs v successfully in the beds as well, & verbenna bonariensis & salvias.

25Avalon Sun 05-Jul-26 21:51:45

Bamboo is fine so long as you dig a trench to contain it. Next door’s open garage that he added two garden sheds to and stored loads of junk in full view stands 6ft above our land and looked hideous. What to shield it with? Bamboo what else - it grows to 12ft so hides shed and it is not covered by the high hedges act. An added bonus is using the canes in the garden for myself and friends.

M0nica Sun 05-Jul-26 21:50:19

Add Japanese anenomes. The previous owner of our house did and then let the garden run wild, The roots grew up between the cement plinth along one side of our house and the brick house wall forcing a gap at the top so that when it rained the water ran between plinth and wall causing a damp problem indoors. It is costing an awful lot of money to remedy the situation.

Redrobin51 Sun 05-Jul-26 20:41:15

Someone at an end house nearby must have planted the Russian Vine which trailed over their fence and has now overtaken the hedge grow and is smothering everything else.

Commonground Sun 05-Jul-26 16:59:38

Acanthus - today's battle.
Russian (mile-a-minute) vine - last week's battle.
Bamboo- fortunately not a problem in my current garden.