[Gill Catton]

I planted great mullein in my garden once - well i transplanted some first year plants (which are a gorgeous rosette of blue-grey, thick, felted furry leaves) from a site I was working on that was being cleared and then this plant getly replicated itself in various parts of the garden for most years - it never took over though and sometimes it attracts mullein moths who's caterpillars are as pretty as the flowers!

I did the same with teasel, I can never understand why we go out and buy fancy spikey plants like globe thistle that are called architectural and then call teasel a weed! I love teasel with its spiral of pinky purple flowers around it's hedgehog heads with leaves joined around the stem that catch and hold water (though I'm not sure why), bees love it as do birds when the seeds are ripe....

Oh and red dead nettle I rescued too, a pretty little plant where the pink of the flowers is matched by the pink blush in the top leaves, again the bees seem to like it and I bet if it came from South Africa would cost you at least £4 in the garden centre!