Customer definition of what is a weed

Hi all

I always try and have a good chat with garden owners to make sure that I'm not picking any plant that they consider a 'weed' but this week has really seen some extremes!

We went to garden number one who wanted to keep the nettles to make nettle tea (good job she said as I was about to pull them up from the middle of her shrub border). I knew she had her wildlife friendly area so assumed I was safe pulling these - wrong!

Garden number two wanted absolutely everything removed including the aquilegias which had been planted there by the previous owner. Felt quite sad about digging them up but that was what she wanted!

Garden number three wanted to keep the dandelions! In fact this one was even more tricky because the husband wanted the garden tidied and his wife didn't. I did persuade her to let me pull the dandelions out of the gravel though to keep him happy.

Personally, I love forget me nots but again about 50% of our customers want them pulled up, and yet lady at garden number one liked to see them even growing in the paving!

Just wondered if anyone else had ever pulled up something they thought that a customer wouldn't like and got it wrong or whether you have customers that like what are considered weeds?

Intresting subject jenny,

i tend to have a quick look at the border and discuss the potential self seeders or herbal type plants that are within the scheme and ask preference, but if the client isnt in at the time i will leave any established clumps of wild or self seeding planting if i think they look good and complement the existing planted border. i usually make my mind up by asessing the type of garden and property if its old and cottagy i keep the self seeders but if its more formal they get taken out.....

i agree with you i love the forget me nots too and they look fab in a stone paving with primulas at the moment i tend to pull the them out when they start to seed as they look a bit straggly then,

im pretty lucky as my customers are happy for me to get on with it after all i am the gardener !! , some have preference but thats to be agreed at the very start of the job,

Replies

Dan Frazer Gardening April 16, 2011 at 1:30pm

I take quite a hardline when it comes to weeding, and don't have any clients who tell me I have pulled the wrong thing out, but I only have 2 pensioners on the books which may be a factor!

As long as there is a reason for clearing certain areas they accept it and see the benefits.
Jen@A&J Owenwindows&gardens April 16, 2011 at 2:50pm

I think it might be a factor with the pensioners. Certainly the case with these anyway. The one who wanted everything cleared was a professional lady!

Dan Frazer Gardening said:
I take quite a hardline when it comes to weeding, and don't have any clients who tell me I have pulled the wrong thing out, but I only have 2 pensioners on the books which may be a factor!

As long as there is a reason for clearing certain areas they accept it and see the benefits.
Chris Collins April 16, 2011 at 2:56pm

In previous jobs I have purposefully left a clump of self seeded primulars only to see one my colleagues hoe them up. Over last 12 years i have been lucky to work alone. I do think self seeders do still have to be managed. Forget me nots and the likes do need to be thinned out a lot to prevent them taking over.

It also depends on the style of a garden. Country gardens should be more forgiving then a pristine clean cut contemporary garden.

I try to go by the philosophy that I will not pull it up unless i can positively identify it as sometimes you find some real gems that have self seeded and if lucky a new variety/cross's can be found.
Jen@A&J Owenwindows&gardens April 16, 2011 at 3:11pm

All of them were country style gardens and the aquilegias were definitely an asset - there were just too many of them! Your approach is the same as mine, my 'goal' for less formal gardens is slightly messy control if that makes sense

Chris Collins said:
In previous jobs I have purposefully left a clump of self seeded primulars only to see one my colleagues hoe them up. Over last 12 years i have been lucky to work alone. I do think self seeders do still have to be managed. Forget me nots and the likes do need to be thinned out a lot to prevent them taking over.

It also depends on the style of a garden. Country gardens should be more forgiving then a pristine clean cut contemporary garden.

I try to go by the philosophy that I will not pull it up unless i can positively identify it as sometimes you find some real gems that have self seeded and if lucky a new variety/cross's can be found.
Chris Auld April 16, 2011 at 5:49pm

Digitalis purpurea, Aquilegia, Papaver, Alchemilla mollis, Calendula officinalis.....all examples of plants that seed profically and i would rather leave in but are considered weeds by most people. If you leave them in you run the risk of your clients thinking you dont know what your doing but if you take them out you are essentially removing beautiful plants. Its a difficult situation. i try to educate my customers as much as possible but some people just dont care.
Jen@A&J Owenwindows&gardens April 16, 2011 at 6:06pm

It is difficult. One of our clients has a border which is full of Campanula, Muscari and Calendula which she asks us to weed out - the problem is that they are the only things which are putting the brakes on the ground elder! She is starting to see that it might be best to leave them because even though she views them as weeds its the lesser of two evils if you ask me.

Chris Auld said:
Digitalis purpurea, Aquilegia, Papaver, Alchemilla mollis, Calendula officinalis.....all examples of plants that seed profically and i would rather leave in but are considered weeds by most people. If you leave them in you run the risk of your clients thinking you dont know what your doing but if you take them out you are essentially removing beautiful plants. Its a difficult situation. i try to educate my customers as much as possible but some people just dont care.
claire carter April 16, 2011 at 9:11pm

Intresting subject jenny,

i tend to have a quick look at the border and discuss the potential self seeders or herbal type plants that are within the scheme and ask preference, but if the client isnt in at the time i will leave any established clumps of wild or self seeding planting if i think they look good and complement the existing planted border. i usually make my mind up by asessing the type of garden and property if its old and cottagy i keep the self seeders but if its more formal they get taken out.....

i agree with you i love the forget me nots too and they look fab in a stone paving with primulas at the moment i tend to pull the them out when they start to seed as they look a bit straggly then,

im pretty lucky as my customers are happy for me to get on with it after all i am the gardener !! , some have preference but thats to be agreed at the very start of the job,
claire carter April 16, 2011 at 9:13pm

I agree with you chris its good to inform, although it can be fustrating at times !!

Chris Auld said:
Digitalis purpurea, Aquilegia, Papaver, Alchemilla mollis, Calendula officinalis.....all examples of plants that seed profically and i would rather leave in but are considered weeds by most people. If you leave them in you run the risk of your clients thinking you dont know what your doing but if you take them out you are essentially removing beautiful plants. Its a difficult situation. i try to educate my customers as much as possible but some people just dont care.
Lawncare-4u.co.uk April 16, 2011 at 10:35pm

I try to go by the philosophy that I will not pull it up unless i can positively identify it as sometimes you find some real gems that have self seeded and if lucky a new variety/cross's can be found.

as chris says : u must identify first to make sure................... :)
Jen@A&J Owenwindows&gardens April 17, 2011 at 7:21am

I never knew that about dandelions! How interesting!

Thanks everyone for the replies and it seems we all agree - if in doubt - don't pull!

I always say to customers after I've weeded their garden for the first time (and where they haven't been specific) that if in doubt I leave it - and that works most of the time but I hadn't reckoned for dandelions and nettles which shows me in future I must ask about every plant!

Interesting thought about new varieties appearing as well - leaving a 'weed' might unearth a treasure :)