Weeds are conventionally known as the bad plants of the garden and there is certainly a known dislike for weeding itself. If you were to track every hour spent in your garden getting rid of these ‘unwanted’ weeds, you would probably find that you do an inordinate amount of digging and pulling things out of the ground. While the first few weeks of tearing up these intruders can prove mildly satisfying, the chore soon wears thin.
A question you may then ask yourself is ‘should I remove all of the weeds in my garden?’ or perhaps ‘what weeds I should keep in my garden? Well, while weeds can be a pest as we know and can take up valuable flower space, some weeds can be good to keep growing on your patch! Here’s why:
A Weed Is Just A Plant That Grows Where You Don’t Want It To.
Sure, they can ruin your beautiful display by sprouting where you don’t want them to, however, weeds can be a good indicator of the soil and environment. For example; Blind weed thrives in compact soil, whereas Chickweed is a sign of high fertility. Dandelion (a weed which we’re sure you’re all familiar with) thrives in acidic soil, Horsetail can be found where there’s damp and poorly drained soil.
Why Should I Keep Weeds In My Garden?
If you’d like to transform your garden but it’s covered in weeds, then consider the following reasons why you should keep some weeds growing there; weeds protect your soil by covering the ground and keeping it safe from the elements, weeds fertilise and condition the soil, weeds also attract insects that are looking for habitat or nectar.
The Best Weeds To Keep In Your Garden
Weeds are nature’s healing remedy for sites that are in a wounded, plant less state, but weeds and gardeners have different ideas of what makes for a good garden. Armed with a better understanding of weeds and the strategies outlined here, you can prevent and keep certain weeds, giving you more time to enjoy your well-groomed garden. As mentioned above, Chickweed is a sign of high fertility! This weed will enrich the soil as it goes through its life cycle. Dandelion is another weed which we think has great benefits of remaining in your garden – not only are dandelions a natural medication for a stinging nettle sting, but they also attract ladybirds and bees.
How To Control The Unwanted Weeds But Keep The Good
We’re not suggesting that you let your garden get overrun by weeds but having a little bit extra knowledge about what these weeds are trying to tell you might help you grow the plants you really want! You can also bear in mind when preparing your garden for spring that close plant spacing chokes out emerging weeds by shading the soil between plants. You can prevent weed-friendly gaps from the get-go by designing with mass plantings or by planting closely spaced plants rather than widely scattered ones. You can usually shave off about 25 percent from the recommended spacing. If you do this in the early stages, you will prevent the bad weeds from growing in between your beautiful flower patches.
If weeding is something you don’t enjoy because of the time you waste, why not install a ColourFence to reduce the time spent maintaining your garden even further! Tick off those unwanted jobs from your list and begin doing the things that YOU want to do.
Get in touch to find out more about our low maintenance fencing.
