Weeding, the Good the Bad and the Invasives

One of the first landscapers I worked for in Victoria taught me well about weeding.  (Little did he know that he was preaching to the converted.)  "Get the weeds out BY THE ROOT" was the message.  I guess he didn't want to return to those same weeds a week later!  Anyway, that message turned out to be a great starting point for teaching kids gardening too, as it leads to learning about roots, stems and leaves, and how to plant a plant.  That is, if you can get past the slightly philosophical question of "What is a weed?"

What is a weed?

Technically, weeds are any plant growing in the wrong place.  For instance, a dandelion in the lawn is considered a weed, but if it were growing in a meadow, it might fit right in and feed the bees.  Invasive species however, are a particularly troubling type of weed.

The ugly - invasive species

Invasive species are simply horticultural plants (or animals, like Starlings) that are not native to our area, but find our climate so perfect, that they escape our gardens and thrive on their own in the wild.  Ivy, Daphne laureolus, Himalayan blackberry, English holly and Scotch broom are our most infamous invasives.  There are more plants making it onto the invasive species list every year, such as fennel, some Euphorbia, lamium etc.  Check out Saanich's information about this, and the links they provide, here.   Invasive plants spread easily from gardens to the wild, so we need to keep them in check by not letting them go to seed, grow too big, or find their way into the forest, if we grow them at all.

There are alternative plants that can be as easy to grow as invasives, without the risk to the ecosystem.  Take ivy for instance, if you like the look of lianas (vines in a tree), try a clematis or honeysuckle (maybe our native trumpet honeysuckle).   To climb a wall, try Virginia creeper, which turns brilliant crimson in the fall or try a climbing hydrangea, which adds a touch of class.

The Greater Vancouver Regional District also has a super brochure on alternatives to invasives, which you can find here.