Just up front: I’m not asking about someone’s preferences as to smoking sections, I’m actually trying to figure out what does and doesn’t belong in my garden. Aside from the tulips, daffodils, chives, nameless plant that has really pretty purpley-blue flowers, non-blooming rosebush (what’s up with THAT?) and the rather deliberately-planted shrub, I’m generally clueless when it comes to gardening.
These are coming up right beside my daffodils. I think there are two different plants here, but I’m not sure. It’s also choking out a garden light. What I’d like to know…is it a weed (and thus to be ejected from my garden) or is it a keeper?
Again, no idea who this guy is, but he looks deliberately planted:
Finally, this dude.
He’s hanging out beside a bunch of what I suspect are very fine chives? At least, I think that’s what they are. I know my mother was flabbergasted when she originally saw how much in the way of chives were planted in the garden, and warned me that they would spread like the dickens if I didn’t take care to cut them back.
I’ll be taking pictures of the little side-area plants, once they’re all uncovered (including at least one “chive” patch, as this is where they apparently “ran wild”), and the back garden. The back garden is going to be a challenge, as it’s about twice as deep as the first garden, and has a bunch more plants that I’m generally clueless about.
If anyone with some Mad Horticulture Skillz could please give me a heads-up in the comments, my garden would be grateful. Particularly as I’m doing my best to try not to kill anything I shouldn’t 🙂
The plant with the purple flowers might be a Cranesbill geranium , described in my perennial book as: geranium ibericum, the flatpetal cranesbill has deep violet flowers with reddish veins. Its leaves are larger and five lobed. Mom
Hi Mum! Thanks for the info…I think the gents who owned the house before us had a list of some of the things planted in the garden, but I’m not sure if there were pictures. I’ll take a look at the description of the geraniums you refer to and see if they’re similar 🙂
Once the yard is in shape, we need to get you & Dad over for BBQ or something, and then you can see the plants for yourself. Hopefully soon…Robin wants to blast & repaint/stain the deck before we put up the gazebo 😀
Imho, if you aren’t sure what it is what it comes down to for me is, do you like it? If not, plant or weed, yank it up and plant something you do like. The bottom pic, whose name I forgot… Isn’t technically a weed but acts like one. I have it in my garden and am on year two of trying to erradicate it. As far as I saw it did nothing fun or pretty. The middle guy is not a weed, it looks like a species of dracena and the top one, if its blocking light from other more desirable fleurs, yank that sumbitch!
I’ll keep my eye on the one that you say looks/acts like a weed…It hasn’t spread in the past 2 years, so I hold out hope it turns out nicely. I may thin down the one on top, but it will depend on what it does in the long run. Thanks, sweetie 😀
top one looks like Liatris Spicata (Blazing Star) Purple spike of small flowers. I like it. Someone ‘helpful’ weeded it out of my garden. Boo hiss.
General rule of thumb for me is to pull out known weeds and then wait to see what pops up. If I like it I keep it. If not then I can pass it on or compost it or put it in that bare spot by the trash cans.
Hi Susan! Thanks for the information…A Google image search of Liatris Spicata turned up flowers that seem vaguely familiar, so I’ll take your recommendation and let it grow. We’ll see what turns up. If it looks like a bright yellow ragweed variant, out it goes. If, on the other hand, it looks like it belongs…we’ll keep it 🙂
Maybe thin it down a little, but keep it 😀
(If I do decide to thin it down & you happen to be in the Calgary area, let me know. Maybe we can figure out the best way to move them to your own garden!)
Sadly a far bit west and little south of you. Thanks for the sharing offer. Greatly appreciated.
I hope the plant is the purple flowered one.