What constitutes a Weed?

[RuskingtonSteve]

For some time now I have been feeding wild birds in our garden and have noticed that where the wild bird seed mix has landed in various areas of the garden, and not been eaten have germinated and grown. I now have a very colourful selection of grasses and poppies, the poppies range from red with four petals to purple with four petals, purple and red combined and some very large headed red ones with multiple petals. There are also other flowering colourful weed types (photos to follow). I am however loath to remove these colourful weeds as the insects that I now see are very diverse, so what constitutes a weed.
I look forward to any replies.
tks in advance
steve, lincolnshire.

[Gill Catton]

Originally Posted by RuskingtonSteve

For some time now I have been feeding wild birds in our garden and have noticed that where the wild bird seed mix has landed in various areas of the garden, and not been eaten have germinated and grown. I now have a very colourful selection of grasses and poppies, the poppies range from red with four petals to purple with four petals, purple and red combined and some very large headed red ones with multiple petals. There are also other flowering colourful weed types (photos to follow). I am however loath to remove these colourful weeds as the insects that I now see are very diverse, so what constitutes a weed.
I look forward to any replies.
tks in advance
steve, lincolnshire.

not only good for insects - if they go to seed this presumably is good for the birds too!!

I personally don't think there is such a thing as a weed. well other than it being an unwanted plant - which would make the gaudy fuschia in my old garden a weed as I dug it up and replaced with teasel and great mullein!!

[Kayleigh]

Simply a plant in the wrong place..

[ellen h]

Originally Posted by Kayleigh

Simply a plant in the wrong place..

Well put!!
ellen

[Kayleigh]

Originally Posted by ellen h

Well put!!
ellen

Thank you.

[Bouncytigger]

Thats interesting because I'm doing a bit of an experiment this year.

Instead of mowing the lawn and pulling out weeds every other week I'm just
lettin the garden go to POT just to see what wildlife arrives.

So at this time if Monty Don walked into my garden he would "Bouncy why do you have you been cultivating weeds and I'd say Monty my dear they might be weeds to you but they are PRIZE BLOOMS to me

Well for this year anyhow

[nutmeg]

Bouncy, I let my garden do pretty much its own thing last year and loads of wildlife took advantage... so I'm repeating it this year, with similar happy results

My boyfriend returned form working in Germany last weekend and commented that I wouldn't be allowed to get away with it over there - I wonder if that's true, or if he just wants it controlled a bit

[Dan Salter]

Weeds is pretty much a term invented by the 'neat and tidy, lets grow lots of foreign nonsense horticultural world'....and also a term from agriculture for species within crops that are classed as a nuisance as they may taint the flour or tatse of the crop.

The 'plant in the wrong place' is the famous term used and comes up often in the industry during freindly banter between a conservationist/native species fan and the enemy....oops...i mean fancy foreign nonsense grower..or horticulturalist

And the comment from Bouncy about Monty Don couldnt be more wrong in my book, Monty compared to the oldschool gardeners of the world (like my mother) has a huge appreciation for organic growing, wildlife gardening and NATIVE PLANTS!...so he would probably praise you for letting your lawn turn into a wildflower meadow...and would be the LAST PERSON ON EARTH to call them weeds!

Incidentally...there is a downside to the flowers you have let grow Ruskingtonsteve, although not a very damaging one but the varieties of poppies you describe sound like non native opium (or called oriental poppies) which are large headed, large seed headed and soon spread into the native countryside like wildfire. A pretty site, but kind of unnatural so its a tough decision as the seeds and large seed heads will no doubt benefit birds and wildlife but you are also adding to the problem of the many many aggresive non native plants that have hopped the garden fence into the English countryiside. I have some of these admitedly beautiful large poppies that come up in the garden of this house which we moved into 2 years ago, i live with them and then as soon as they go to seed i nip off the seed heads to try and keep them a little under control.

[Jez]

Originally Posted by Dan Salter

Weeds is pretty much a term invented by the 'neat and tidy, lets grow lots of foreign nonsense horticultural world'....and also a term from agriculture for species within crops that are classed as a nuisance as they may taint the flour or tatse of the crop.

The 'plant in the wrong place' is the famous term used and comes up often in the industry during freindly banter between a conservationist/native species fan and the enemy....oops...i mean fancy foreign nonsense grower..or horticulturalist

And the comment from Bouncy about Monty Don couldnt be more wrong in my book, Monty compared to the oldschool gardeners of the world (like my mother) has a huge appreciation for organic growing, wildlife gardening and NATIVE PLANTS!...so he would probably praise you for letting your lawn turn into a wildflower meadow...and would be the LAST PERSON ON EARTH to call them weeds!

Incidentally...there is a downside to the flowers you have let grow Ruskingtonsteve, although not a very damaging one but the varieties of poppies you describe sound like non native opium (or called oriental poppies) which are large headed, large seed headed and soon spread into the native countryside like wildfire. A pretty site, but kind of unnatural so its a tough decision as the seeds and large seed heads will no doubt benefit birds and wildlife but you are also adding to the problem of the many many aggresive non native plants that have hopped the garden fence into the English countryiside. I have some of these admitedly beautiful large poppies that come up in the garden of this house which we moved into 2 years ago, i live with them and then as soon as they go to seed i nip off the seed heads to try and keep them a little under control.

Word it you heard it really!

[m1.carson]

Ha,

Don't tell me, there's going to be hemp in there as well, , you'll have all the local bobbies round for tea.

Max.

[aeshna5]

I think Kayleigh's definition is the simplest.

I don't think I would describe Opium Poppies as invasive- they are annuals, so only usually persist where the soil is disturbed. Himalayan Balsam is 1 of the few annuals I can think of that is problematic. Strictly species none of the poppies we see are truly native as those familiar red poppy species were inadvertantly introduced by the early farmers. For me a welcome addition to our flora!

[Jez]

Originally Posted by aeshna5

I don't think I would describe Opium Poppies as invasive

But there are starting to frequent motorway verges a long with the our natives more readily I've noticed.

I agree with you also aeshna5, Kayleigh has summed it up nice & simple!

[big bill]

Originally Posted by m1.carson

Ha,

Don't tell me, there's going to be hemp in there as well, , you'll have all the local bobbies round for tea.

Max.

In some of the mixed sed bags you do get Hemp like some others I have let a part of the garden go wild and any seed that germinates is left to see what come s up ,I dont know how but some has even got into the greenhouse and hust waiting foe it to flower to see what its like

[thunder]

Originally Posted by big bill

In some of the mixed sed bags you do get Hemp like some others I have let a part of the garden go wild and any seed that germinates is left to see what come s up ,I dont know how but some has even got into the greenhouse and hust waiting foe it to flower to see what its like

Don't forget though that the stuff in bird seed is hemp (the plant used to make ropes and other things), not marijuana (the variety used to make whacky baccy). Agricultural hemp has very low levels of mind altering substances!

henrya

[Dan Salter]

Originally Posted by aeshna5

I think Kayleigh's definition is the simplest.

I don't think I would describe Opium Poppies as invasive- they are annuals, so only usually persist where the soil is disturbed. Himalayan Balsam is 1 of the few annuals I can think of that is problematic. Strictly species none of the poppies we see are truly native as those familiar red poppy species were inadvertantly introduced by the early farmers. For me a welcome addition to our flora!

I didnt actually say the opium poppy was 'invasive' however via its massive seed dispersal it DOES spread rapidly and the verges around these parts are covered with them more and more. I also stated ' there is a downside but not a very damaging one' and i also agreed they were beuatiful, my point was they are NOT native and it is very unnatural to see them covering the places that we are more used to seeing the typical red poppies (native or not) .

and as for Kayleighs comment i agree yes she summed it up i was just pointing out the history behind the much used ' plant in a wrong place' line.

and Jez...?? "word it you heard it really!" technically in my NATIVE language of English makes little sense at all? ha ha what were you trying to say?

[Bouncytigger]

Originally Posted by Dan Salter

Weeds is pretty much a term invented by the 'neat and tidy, lets grow lots of foreign nonsense horticultural world'....and also a term from agriculture for species within crops that are classed as a nuisance as they may taint the flour or tatse of the crop.

The 'plant in the wrong place' is the famous term used and comes up often in the industry during freindly banter between a conservationist/native species fan and the enemy....oops...i mean fancy foreign nonsense grower..or horticulturalist

And the comment from Bouncy about Monty Don couldnt be more wrong in my book, Monty compared to the oldschool gardeners of the world (like my mother) has a huge appreciation for organic growing, wildlife gardening and NATIVE PLANTS!...so he would probably praise you for letting your lawn turn into a wildflower meadow...and would be the LAST PERSON ON EARTH to call them weeds!

Incidentally...there is a downside to the flowers you have let grow Ruskingtonsteve, although not a very damaging one but the varieties of poppies you describe sound like non native opium (or called oriental poppies) which are large headed, large seed headed and soon spread into the native countryside like wildfire. A pretty site, but kind of unnatural so its a tough decision as the seeds and large seed heads will no doubt benefit birds and wildlife but you are also adding to the problem of the many many aggresive non native plants that have hopped the garden fence into the English countryiside. I have some of these admitedly beautiful large poppies that come up in the garden of this house which we moved into 2 years ago, i live with them and then as soon as they go to seed i nip off the seed heads to try and keep them a little under control.

I wouldn't take to much of what i said to seriously Dan

I talke a LOAD OF OLD COBBLERS most of the time

[Dan Salter]

With a name like Bouncytigger and an avatar like that i dont think i was ever taking you seriously! (kidding) x

Im still more intrigued what on earth Jez was trying to say? maybe he was drunk!

[Pete Collins]

Originally Posted by aeshna5

...
I don't think I would describe Opium Poppies as invasive- ...

I came across an Opium poppy in the middle of a bridleway today. A couple of weeks ago I came across a field of them in Oxfordshire - I looked on the web and it seemed a local firm had been licensed to grow them for medicinal purposes.