I left the full frame of this Centaurea montana so that you can see how it persists in spite of grass, roses, nettles and various other weeds. We planted Centaurea montana more than 20 years ago - and then decided that spot, a small bank, was not a good place. We mowed everything down. The Centaurea didn't notice and it continues to come up every year. It is not invasive, just persistent. Centaurea montana is also called perennial…
For years I complained about witch grass – until I bought Weeds of the Northeast by Richard Uva, Joseph Neal and Joseph DiTomaso - and found out I should have been complaining about quackgrass. Witch grass (Panicum capillare L.) is a summer annual that reproduces by seed that germinates in late spring and midsummer. It is found everywhere, in gardens, farm fields, in poor dry soil and wet fertile soil. Quackgrass (Elytrigia repens) also known as couch grass,…
After soil building, mulching is probably the number two topic for gardeners. Kerry Mendez, author of The Ultimate Gardener's Top Ten Lists, talks about both these important topics in her talks and in her book. There was also considerable discussion at the Trillium Workshop I attended on Sunday. I mulch all I can, and have stories to tell myself. Last year our town left piles of wood chips all over town for us gardeners to use as we…
Now you know why I chose the name commonweeder. I love common weeds. Otherwise known as wild flowers. In some circles. I call this wildflower garden my flowery mead. Others may call it my lawn. Lawns have become controversial because they can take a toll on the environment. Herbicides and pesticides can runoff into streams and other waterways causing pollution and killing wildlife. Many people water their lawns when the weather is hot and dry, using that precious…
I measure the march toward spring by the arrival of the first dandelion in my 'flowery mead' which some call The Lawn. Yesterday, the first dandelion showed up, at least a week earlier than usual. This morning it has been joined by a host of sunny compatriots. I hope the five days of 80 plus temperatures haven't lulled us into a fatal spring. Along with the dandelions, these violets seemed to pop up and bloom over night in…