I may have mentioned the bindweed…A wander round the garden means that I really am going to have to tackle it as soon as I am able. It is choking the rest of the plants and that, in spite of the purity and symbolic beauty of its flowers, means it has to go. In terms of pure definition, it is a weed, “a wild plant growing where it is not wanted and in competition with cultivated plants,” yet in the wild it is a lovely thing, and the cultivars really deserve their name of Morning Glory.
The valerian, though, is also a weed by that definition. It was certainly not wanted… it self-seeded from somewhere, taking up residence in the nice, neat gravel that surrounded the tidy little bushes of the front garden. Well, it isn’t so much a garden as a divider from the footpath out front there. It runs a mere six foot deep the width of the house. But, I like valerian. The soft green foliage is pretty and the exuberant froth of deep pink flowers is just gorgeous. So, I left the little seedlings to play in the gravel, expecting little and hoping much.
That was three years ago.
The nice, tidy gravel is now invisible. The neat little bushes have grown to majestic, and unmanageable proportions and are covered in blooms. Cleaning the front window is nigh on impossible… as is trimming back the bushes. Why? Because of the valerian. And the worst of it is… I don’t mind.
Okay, I admit, it was a tad awkward getting into the house through the front door when I’d been away as the pretty pink flowers had almost completely swallowed the path. And a good downpour will fill their petals with so much water that, even after trimming them back, you will get soaked if you come to visit. I could cut them back some more… and I probably ought to… but the whole sea of pink is alive with bees and butterflies that flock upwards every time you pass. There was even a hummingbird moth today… quite a rarity this far north, but since the valerian moved in, so did the moths.
Valerian used to be used in perfumes centuries ago… though that might be the sweet smelling valeriana officinalis, rather than this one. You can eat it though, so I won’t go hungry, as the leaves are good in salads and the roots make a decent soup. Apparently. I haven’t tried that yet. It would mean digging them up. Folk remedies hail it as good for colds and flu. All of which, rather than a wildflower or a weed, defines it as either a vegetable or a herb. Quite apart from the fact you can actually buy it as a garden plant…
So, it has to make me wonder about points of view. One old lady knocked on my door to beg a few seedlings. One young mother complains bitterly about it encroaching on the path. Some would think it untidy… it is certainly unruly and frequently inconvenient. But I love it. I suppose you could say that one man’s weed is another’s wildflower.
A bit like the creeping jenny and the purple loosestrife that also invaded. And the buddleias of course. I am not a bad plantswoman and can identify seedlings when they are small. I recognised the lot of them, yet rather than weed them out, I let them get on with it, taking a chance on the invasive plants and what they would do to the regimented planning of the garden. What they have done is made it a haven for wildlife. When the insects come, so do the birds and rather than the neatly manicured beds of yore, I have a shaggy, colourful garden that buzzes, hums and sings. You can never have too much beauty. Sometimes you just have to take a chance on something, let it in and see what grows.
Sue Vincent's Daily Echo 
Oh Sue, you’re speaking to my heart in words and photos. Such lovely creatures living in your gardens. So glad to know they all find a welcome spot and are allowed to grow. “Bindweed” is taking my front bed this spring, too. So far it is allowed to ramble over the emerging Lantana, and I have a lovely photo this morning of one of the blue flowers opening with the sunrise. Hope you’re well. I’m excited to see the hummingbird moth in your garden- as you say, so far north. My mate and I have been talking about the unusually mild winter in Europe this past winter, and wonder how much can be attributed to the acceleration of the poles’ movement- Such beauty! Hugs, XXOXX
LikeLike
I’ve had the hummingbird moths for the past few years.. just the odd one, but they always seem to come back.
Our morning glory is white, in the wild state, but still very pretty. xxxx
LikeLike
They are gorgeous- and so precious to bloom for such a short time each day. We’re still waiting to see many butterflies or moths- just the odd one here and again. The banquet is spread…. XXX
LikeLike
There are clouds of them here now… our summers are brief, but beautiful xxx
LikeLike
Lovely photos! Terrific capture of the moth. Thanks!
LikeLike
Thank you… I wish I’d got it a little cleaer… but at that speed I am lucky to have got it at all, I think 🙂
LikeLike
Considering that you are not using a tripod, I assume, these are spectacular images. Are you using a camera or a phone? If a phone, I may just have to consider the purchase as it would be so much more portable for our hikes
LikeLike
Hi Maggie, just a digital hand held Lumix my son gave me. It does a good all round job.
LikeLike
In your hands it certainly does a good job! Great stuff.
LikeLike
Thanks, Maggie.
LikeLike
oh, i love it all spilling over and mixing and gushing with color –
LikeLike
so do I, Beth 🙂
LikeLike
The hummingbird moth is so interesting. I had one that used to visit, on a regular basis, my cleome plants – but at night!!!! these are wonderful photos. I just love all your visitors.
LikeLike
It always seems to turn up mid afternoon. I had never even heard of them till one turned up a couple of years ago. They are so big, and look and sound so like a humming bird ( we don’t get those either 😦 ) that it was easy to find out what it was.
LikeLike
This is the first year I have been unable to tackle the bindweed early in the season and it has really taken over in a major way. I hate the stuff. And the blackberry brambles that make getting in or out of the woods impossible. And the ants, the slugs, the beetles, the grubs. This year, they win. I try not to think about it.
LikeLike
They won for me last year too. I was ill when I should have sorted them and they take advantage when your back is turned. Winter sorts them for a while.
LikeLike
What a lovely post brimming with life and vibrant colour. I love the sound of a humming garden Sue!
What beautiful butterfly shots, and how amazing to see the hummingbird moth. I have a constant balance to weave between my tendencies to let nature run her course, and my husbands desire to control and tame her…..I’ve definitely won with the wild strawberries which he now agrees are delicious so they are allowed to wander and scramble freely over our rockery and gravel driveway 🙂
LikeLike
Wild strawberries??? Sighs…. so much better than the ordinary ones… in fact, you can barely compare them as being the same fruit… ( you can tell, can’t you… I love the things…) 🙂
LikeLike
Fabulous shots!
LikeLike
Thank you 🙂
LikeLike
Beautiful photos. And Valerian tea is said to have tranquilizing effects but also to smell like old shoes. Not sure if it is the flowers or the roots.
LikeLike
It does on both counts, but that is valeriana officinalis while mine is red valerian ( centranthus ruber). A little lavender helps with both effects in valerian tea though
LikeLike
Oh, thanks for the tip!😊
LikeLike
If you are going to have a go with it, Ellen, try adding a little chamommile too. But go easy with valerian, it is better not to use it daily for more than a couple of weeks at a time or it can lose its efficacy.
LikeLike
Thank you, Sue!
LikeLike