Time to play another round of Plant! Or! Weed!!
April 17, 2015 1:20 AM Subscribe
Is my garden overrun with weeds? See pictures inside.
Last year I planted annuals that supposedly re-seed, and this year, I planted a little more stuff. Then I turned my back, and the next thing I know, the garden is full of some things that look suspiciously weedy.
Here's what I remember planting -- virginia stock (malcolmia maritima), baby blue eyes (nemophila menziesii), blue fescue, feathergrass, catmint, a salvia, a few kinds of papaver (commutatum, lauren's grape, something pink), eschscholzia "rose chiffon"... I'll keep looking for my records to see if I left anything out. The sad thing is that I can find almost all of those in the picture, leaving me wondering what the mystery plants are.
I uploaded a few photos. I numbered some of the questionable plants on this image and provided one other reference pic, and then close ups: A, B, C, D, E. Any help IDing these mystery plants would be very helpful!
This is in Oakland, California, if that helps.
Last year I planted annuals that supposedly re-seed, and this year, I planted a little more stuff. Then I turned my back, and the next thing I know, the garden is full of some things that look suspiciously weedy.
Here's what I remember planting -- virginia stock (malcolmia maritima), baby blue eyes (nemophila menziesii), blue fescue, feathergrass, catmint, a salvia, a few kinds of papaver (commutatum, lauren's grape, something pink), eschscholzia "rose chiffon"... I'll keep looking for my records to see if I left anything out. The sad thing is that I can find almost all of those in the picture, leaving me wondering what the mystery plants are.
I uploaded a few photos. I numbered some of the questionable plants on this image and provided one other reference pic, and then close ups: A, B, C, D, E. Any help IDing these mystery plants would be very helpful!
This is in Oakland, California, if that helps.
The first pic is Cleavers. Does it feel like the rough side of velcro when you handle it?
Pic #3 looks like a geranium to me, though the seed pods might be throwing me off.
The one with the white 4-petalled flowers looks like Cerastium, or snow in summer. Again, could be wrong.
posted by Solomon at 2:03 AM on April 17, 2015
Pic #3 looks like a geranium to me, though the seed pods might be throwing me off.
The one with the white 4-petalled flowers looks like Cerastium, or snow in summer. Again, could be wrong.
posted by Solomon at 2:03 AM on April 17, 2015
Best answer: B is a weed - it's a type of wild geranium. It's not a terrible weed, as weeds go, but it's not something you planted.
I think D might be some kind of chamomile, so you might have planted it last year.
posted by fiercekitten at 7:44 AM on April 17, 2015
I think D might be some kind of chamomile, so you might have planted it last year.
posted by fiercekitten at 7:44 AM on April 17, 2015
Best answer: Your B,C,D,E links are all of the same plant, Cranesbill.
posted by humboldt32 at 8:27 AM on April 17, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by humboldt32 at 8:27 AM on April 17, 2015 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Oh, I remember another (the last?) thing I planted -- clarkia amoena. Could that be one of these low mounding plants? Here's a picture that almost looks a little like B. That said, I bet you're right, fiercekitten -- we have lots of weedy geranium. I'm used to the kind with the big, heart-shaped leaves.
posted by slidell at 8:29 AM on April 17, 2015
posted by slidell at 8:29 AM on April 17, 2015
Response by poster: Googling cranesbill, I agree, that's it. But a lot of those links refer to it as a nice groundcover, etc. -- should I just leave it, at least in spot B where it isn't crowding anything else? Or will I regret it?
Another question -- this guy, my most hated weed -- does anyone know what it's called? I really need to research strategies for obliterating it because a friend is allergic to it.
posted by slidell at 8:48 AM on April 17, 2015
Another question -- this guy, my most hated weed -- does anyone know what it's called? I really need to research strategies for obliterating it because a friend is allergic to it.
posted by slidell at 8:48 AM on April 17, 2015
Weeds are plants in places you don't want them, nothing more.
If you like it, leave it in. If it gets out of hand, cut it back or pull it out. Gardening is what you make it.
posted by humboldt32 at 9:01 PM on April 19, 2015 [2 favorites]
If you like it, leave it in. If it gets out of hand, cut it back or pull it out. Gardening is what you make it.
posted by humboldt32 at 9:01 PM on April 19, 2015 [2 favorites]
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by pipeski at 1:57 AM on April 17, 2015 [1 favorite]