As I wiped the blood off my arms and dug the splinters out, I reflected
that perhaps planting Pyracantha and Berberis where they wouldn't get
cut for 15 years, was a bad idea...

What's your nemesis?

--
"I guess a rattlesnake ain't risponsible fer bein' a rattlesnake, but ah
puts mah heel on um jess the same if'n I catches him around mah chillun".

In article <sbn22j$d4d$2@dont-email.me>, tnp@invalid.invalid says...
>
> As I wiped the blood off my arms and dug the splinters out, I reflected
> that perhaps planting Pyracantha and Berberis where they wouldn't get
> cut for 15 years, was a bad idea...
>
> What's your nemesis?

Euphorbias, especially E mellifera. Beautiful plant which needs to
be quarantined where nobody can accidentally make contact with the
copious white sap which can blister skin. Unfortunately EM has other
ideas, in a mild location it grows huge and seeds all over the place.

Janet.

On 2 Jul 2021 13:50, The Natural Philosopher wrote:
> As I wiped the blood off my arms and dug the splinters out, I reflected
> that perhaps planting Pyracantha and Berberis where they wouldn't get
> cut for 15 years, was a bad idea...
>
> What's your nemesis?
>

Planting an Epimedium under a large Camellia and letting it get on with
it. Took all the rain and goodness from the Camellia which eventually
turned up it;s toes.
--
Regards.
Bob Hobden

On Fri, 02 Jul 2021 15:47:39 +0100, Bob Hobden wrote:

> On 2 Jul 2021 13:50, The Natural Philosopher wrote:
>> As I wiped the blood off my arms and dug the splinters out, I reflected
>> that perhaps planting Pyracantha and Berberis where they wouldn't get
>> cut for 15 years, was a bad idea...
>>
>> What's your nemesis?
>>
>
> Planting an Epimedium under a large Camellia and letting it get on with
> it. Took all the rain and goodness from the Camellia which eventually
> turned up it;s toes.

Campanula poscharskyana (low growing, climbing bellflower). Beautiful blue
flowers but creeps over and through every plant shrub it comes upon,
rooting and seeding as it goes. Far worse and faster than ivy. If you could
eat it, it would feed the world.
--
Jim S

On Fri, 2 Jul 2021 13:50:27 +0100, The Natural Philosopher
<tnp@invalid.invalid> wrote:

>As I wiped the blood off my arms and dug the splinters out, I reflected
>that perhaps planting Pyracantha and Berberis where they wouldn't get
>cut for 15 years, was a bad idea...
>
>What's your nemesis?

Inula hookeri. Spreads like the devil. Fortunately I caught it before
it got too bad and I've now dug it all out.

--
Chris

Gardening in West Cornwall, very mild, sheltered
from the West, but open to the North and East.

On Fri, 02 Jul 2021 15:47:39 +0100, Bob Hobden <bob-hobden@yahoo.com>
wrote:

>On 2 Jul 2021 13:50, The Natural Philosopher wrote:
>> As I wiped the blood off my arms and dug the splinters out, I reflected
>> that perhaps planting Pyracantha and Berberis where they wouldn't get
>> cut for 15 years, was a bad idea...
>>
>> What's your nemesis?
>>
>
>Planting an Epimedium under a large Camellia and letting it get on with
>it. Took all the rain and goodness from the Camellia which eventually
>turned up it;s toes.

Oh dear! I have exactly the same situation. I must keep an eye on mine
to make sure it doesn't get too close to the camellia.

--
Chris

Gardening in West Cornwall, very mild, sheltered
from the West, but open to the North and East.

On 02/07/2021 13:50, The Natural Philosopher wrote:
> As I wiped the blood off my arms and dug the splinters out, I reflected
> that perhaps planting Pyracantha and Berberis where they wouldn't get
> cut for 15 years, was a bad idea...
>
> What's your nemesis?

There are several I would never let anywhere near the garden again as
they have proved very invasive and extremely difficult to eradicate:
Tropaeolum ciliatum

The tubers of this go very deep and it spreads underground rapidly. I
eventually dug it out, as its tubers came up against the house footings
and couldn't go any deeper!

Paederia foetida
Campsis × tagliabuana (Madame Galen)

Both spread underground and have come up after travelling under paving.
The Campsis came up five metres from the original plant. Neither
succumbed to repeated application of glyphosate; the Campsis finally
went after I put neat glyphosate in several 5 mm holes, 4 cm deep, in
its 3 cm wide main stem.

Also, although they are very attractive plants, I would also avoid
Clerodendrums. I knew C. bungei would spread, but C. trichotomum has
proved more of a problem. It's runners have so far come up as far as 4
metres from the main trunk.

I'm now sorting out a hardy tulbaghia which self-seeds and has many
offsets on its bulbs, which break away with ease. It is similar to grape
hyacinth and Spanish bluebell.

--

Jeff

On 02/07/2021 15:08, Janet wrote:
> In article <sbn22j$d4d$2@dont-email.me>, tnp@invalid.invalid says...
>>
>> As I wiped the blood off my arms and dug the splinters out, I reflected
>> that perhaps planting Pyracantha and Berberis where they wouldn't get
>> cut for 15 years, was a bad idea...
>>
>> What's your nemesis?
>
> Euphorbias, especially E mellifera. Beautiful plant which needs to
> be quarantined where nobody can accidentally make contact with the
> copious white sap which can blister skin. Unfortunately EM has other
> ideas, in a mild location it grows huge and seeds all over the place.
>
> Janet.
>
I think the ex left one in the garden. 4 ft tall smells nice?

--
You can get much farther with a kind word and a gun than you can with a
kind word alone.

Al Capone

On 02/07/2021 16:06, Jim S wrote:
> On Fri, 02 Jul 2021 15:47:39 +0100, Bob Hobden wrote:
>
>> On 2 Jul 2021 13:50, The Natural Philosopher wrote:
>>> As I wiped the blood off my arms and dug the splinters out, I reflected
>>> that perhaps planting Pyracantha and Berberis where they wouldn't get
>>> cut for 15 years, was a bad idea...
>>>
>>> What's your nemesis?
>>>
>>
>> Planting an Epimedium under a large Camellia and letting it get on with
>> it. Took all the rain and goodness from the Camellia which eventually
>> turned up it;s toes.
>
> Campanula poscharskyana (low growing, climbing bellflower). Beautiful blue
> flowers but creeps over and through every plant shrub it comes upon,
> rooting and seeding as it goes. Far worse and faster than ivy. If you could
> eat it, it would feed the world.
>
Ah yes. I think I had that but buried it all under a foot of topsoil
when the house was rebuilt

Or was that periwinkle?

--
"Socialist governments traditionally do make a financial mess. They
always run out of other people's money. It's quite a characteristic of them"

Margaret Thatcher

On 02/07/2021 17:39, Chris Hogg wrote:
> Inula hookeri
I'll remember to stay clear of that, then

--
"Socialist governments traditionally do make a financial mess. They
always run out of other people's money. It's quite a characteristic of them"

Margaret Thatcher

On 2 Jul 2021 17:43, Chris Hogg wrote:
> On Fri, 02 Jul 2021 15:47:39 +0100, Bob Hobden <bob-hobden@yahoo.com>
> wrote:
>
>>On 2 Jul 2021 13:50, The Natural Philosopher wrote:
>>> As I wiped the blood off my arms and dug the splinters out, I reflected
>>> that perhaps planting Pyracantha and Berberis where they wouldn't get
>>> cut for 15 years, was a bad idea...
>>>
>>> What's your nemesis?
>>>
>>
>>Planting an Epimedium under a large Camellia and letting it get on
with
>>it. Took all the rain and goodness from the Camellia which eventually
>>turned up it;s toes.
>
> Oh dear! I have exactly the same situation. I must keep an eye on mine
> to make sure it doesn't get too close to the camellia.
>
Seriously I would not have it anywhere near a plant that thrives on
damp, when the 15ft+ Camellia toppled and I dug out the Epimedium the
ground underneath was bone dry dust covered in a thick layer of
it's roots.

--
Regards.
Bob Hobden

On 02/07/2021 22:57, Bob Hobden wrote:

> Seriously I would not have it anywhere near a plant that thrives on
> damp, when the 15ft+ Camellia toppled and I dug out the Epimedium the
> ground underneath was bone dry dust covered in a thick layer of
> it's roots.

I have many plants growing underneath a 19m ash. They have to learn to
live on dust. :-)

In May and June we had a total of 280mm of rain. I put some plants in
yesterday under the ash; the top cm or two of soil was dampish, but once
past that it was almost bone dry.

--

Jeff

On Fri, 2 Jul 2021 21:41:23 +0100, The Natural Philosopher
<tnp@invalid.invalid> wrote:

>On 02/07/2021 16:06, Jim S wrote:
>> On Fri, 02 Jul 2021 15:47:39 +0100, Bob Hobden wrote:
>>
>>> On 2 Jul 2021 13:50, The Natural Philosopher wrote:
>>>> As I wiped the blood off my arms and dug the splinters out, I reflected
>>>> that perhaps planting Pyracantha and Berberis where they wouldn't get
>>>> cut for 15 years, was a bad idea...
>>>>
>>>> What's your nemesis?
>>>>
>>>
>>> Planting an Epimedium under a large Camellia and letting it get on with
>>> it. Took all the rain and goodness from the Camellia which eventually
>>> turned up it;s toes.
>>
>> Campanula poscharskyana (low growing, climbing bellflower). Beautiful blue
>> flowers but creeps over and through every plant shrub it comes upon,
>> rooting and seeding as it goes. Far worse and faster than ivy. If you could
>> eat it, it would feed the world.
>>
>Ah yes. I think I had that but buried it all under a foot of topsoil
>when the house was rebuilt
>
>Or was that periwinkle?

I forgot periwinkle. A plant from hell! Great if you own a small
forest, but not for a domestic garden. I once planted some in
ignorance in a bed on the north side of a 'Cornish hedge' (a
loose-laid stone-and-soil wall) separating my garden from my
neighbour. Not only did the periwinkle smother everything in the bed
where I'd planted it, it went through the wall and invaded my
neighbour's garden. Fortunately, they weren't gardeners and had no
idea where it had come from.

--
Chris

Gardening in West Cornwall, very mild, sheltered
from the West, but open to the North and East.

The Natural Philosopher wrote:

>What's your nemesis?

I don't even remember planting any, but muscari try to take over
my borders every spring. I keep pulling them, but so far they
have the upper hand.

I planted a passion flower against a south facing wall, and it
took off so well that I was constantly trimming it back.
Eventually I recognised that it was not the right plant for that
spot.

Chris
--
Chris J Dixon Nottingham UK
chris@cdixon.me.uk @ChrisJDixon1

Plant amazing Acers.

On 02/07/2021 13:50, The Natural Philosopher wrote:
> As I wiped the blood off my arms and dug the splinters out, I reflected
> that perhaps planting Pyracantha and Berberis where they wouldn't get
> cut for 15 years, was a bad idea...
>
> What's your nemesis?
>
We didn't plant it, but we inherited

https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?PID=992

We realised after a year that it was seeding everywhere.

5 years on we're still pulling the things up.

Andy

On 04/07/2021 21:42, Vir Campestris wrote:
> On 02/07/2021 13:50, The Natural Philosopher wrote:
>> As I wiped the blood off my arms and dug the splinters out, I
>> reflected that perhaps planting Pyracantha and Berberis where they
>> wouldn't get cut for 15 years, was a bad idea...
>>
>> What's your nemesis?
>>
> We didn't plant it, but we inherited
>
> https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?PID=992
>
> We realised after a year that it was seeding everywhere.
>
> 5 years on we're still pulling the things up.
>
> Andy
I've got it as well

On Sun, 4 Jul 2021 21:42:53 +0100, Vir Campestris
<vir.campestris@invalid.invalid> wrote:

>On 02/07/2021 13:50, The Natural Philosopher wrote:
>> As I wiped the blood off my arms and dug the splinters out, I reflected
>> that perhaps planting Pyracantha and Berberis where they wouldn't get
>> cut for 15 years, was a bad idea...
>>
>> What's your nemesis?
>>
>We didn't plant it, but we inherited
>
>https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?PID=992
>
>We realised after a year that it was seeding everywhere.
>
>5 years on we're still pulling the things up.
>
>Andy

My late mother rather liked it. I'm now living in her bungalow. Nearly
six years on, I'm still pulling up seedlings. Fortunately they're
easily identified.

--
Chris

Gardening in West Cornwall, very mild, sheltered
from the West, but open to the North and East.

On 04/07/2021 21:42, Vir Campestris wrote:
> On 02/07/2021 13:50, The Natural Philosopher wrote:
>> As I wiped the blood off my arms and dug the splinters out, I
>> reflected that perhaps planting Pyracantha and Berberis where they
>> wouldn't get cut for 15 years, was a bad idea...

I'm not so keen on berberis (spring flowers are nice though) but
pyracantha makes a fairly effective stock proof hedge. You need chrome
leather welding gloves to handle it. Nothing else is tough enough.
>>
>> What's your nemesis?
>>
> We didn't plant it, but we inherited
>
> https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?PID=992
>
> We realised after a year that it was seeding everywhere.
>
> 5 years on we're still pulling the things up.

I have got it but it stays in the dampest bits of the garden only and
isn't too invasive for me. My wife doesn't like it but I think it makes
quite a handsome clump in soil that is a bit too damp for many things.

I rescue the odd seedling. Maybe I shouldn't be giving them away.

Teasel is another one that once you have got it you will work very hard
to eradicate but again I like their robust form and structure in the
winter. Bees like the flowers and birds like the seeds.

--
Regards,
Martin Brown

In article <scjgu9$1upd$1@gioia.aioe.org>,
Martin Brown <'''newspam'''@nonad.co.uk> wrote:
>
>I'm not so keen on berberis (spring flowers are nice though) but
>pyracantha makes a fairly effective stock proof hedge. You need chrome
>leather welding gloves to handle it. Nothing else is tough enough.

If it grows well, it goes straight through any leather gloves you
can use secateurs with - and creates 6-8' shoots up to 1" thick in
a season - I got rid of one for that reason.

My Berberis vulgaris "asperma" has vicious thorns, but I keep it both
because the berries are useful condiments, and because I propagated
it myself. When I last enquired, it was one the national collection
did not have, but they never took up my offer of taking cuttings (it's
a b*gg*r to propagate that way). Gloves are a waste of time with it,
because its 1" needles go through anything.

The plants that I got rid of because they were disastrously invasive
(and it took some time) were bear's breeches (root running under the
lawn) and sweet cicely (massively self-seeding and would establish in
grass). I had to move a Romneya coulteri for the first reason, and
am casting malicious eyes on lily of the valley, which is doing the
same.

Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

On 19/07/2021 15:02, Nick Maclaren wrote:
> In article <scjgu9$1upd$1@gioia.aioe.org>,
> Martin Brown <'''newspam'''@nonad.co.uk> wrote:
>>
> am casting malicious eyes on lily of the valley, which is doing the
> same.

There is a nice yellow striped variegated form if you have trouble with
it being invasive. I grow that myself (and for the same reason).

Others report great difficulty keeping the ordinary form alive. I
suspected soil type but I'm heavy clay and ISTR you are on light loam.

--
Regards,
Martin Brown

In article <sd46u4$1o9n$1@gioia.aioe.org>,
Martin Brown <'''newspam'''@nonad.co.uk> wrote:
>>>
>> am casting malicious eyes on lily of the valley, which is doing the
>> same.
>
>There is a nice yellow striped variegated form if you have trouble with
>it being invasive. I grow that myself (and for the same reason).
>
>Others report great difficulty keeping the ordinary form alive. I
>suspected soil type but I'm heavy clay and ISTR you are on light loam.

Yes - it seems to be either wildly invasive or drop dead. For some
bizarre reason, I can't grow garden mint in my soil, but have no
trouble in large pots (filled with the same soil).

Regards,
Nick Maclaren.