Time and time again, I see garden beds bare of most, if not all, plant life. If there is any plant life, it is mostly weeds that I see. I see it bot in and out of work. All too often I’m told that the only way to solve the weed issue is to spray them. While this is seen as the standard method of solving the ‘weed problem’, it doesn’t make it the right way of doing things and does not actually solve the problem. The weeds come back in the same place, just to be sprayed again a few weeks later.

I refuse to spray any chemical anywhere because the underlying problem is never addressed to begin with. Even though I have been told that doing things in a different way cannot be done, it can if you want it to be done different-laziness says otherwise! It needs time, discussions with clients about the why and how, and an upfront cost of time and money (for plants to plant and compost to help improve the soil) that will be saved later on when the workload is less.

What is the role of plants termed ‘weeds’ in nature?

The plants we usually call weeds are things like fleabane, dandelions and other fast-growing annuals that randomly appear growing on bare soil and in neglected garden areas, where more care could be taken.

The role of these plants in nature is to grow in areas where nothing else is growing. They help break up the soil where it’s compacted to allow water and air to start entering the soil. As they complete their life cycle in a few months, their decomposition adds organic matter, and therefore nutrients, to the soil. Over time, both of these things alone improve the conditions enough, with the aid of soil fauna, to allow ‘better’ or ‘non-weedy’ plants to take their place.

How does relate to the garden?

We don’t want weeds in our garden beds, but also don’t want to have a random mass of plants neither. Instead of weeds in the garden beds, de-compacting the soil as their roots grow into it and adding organic matter once they die, we can add compost or other organic matter like animal manures. Also adding leaf mould (decaying leaves) as a soil conditioner is great because worms as it helps improve soil structure and acts as a good mulch when first applied (which protects the soil from erosion too).

Planting plants in your garden beds is the other part how nature and ecology relate to the garden. If there are healthy plants in healthy soil, that are growing well and covering the majority of the garden beds, weeds will be few and far between. When plants suited to the conditions in your garden-and by that I mean they like the climate and soil conditions there, then there will be few problems. This saves time, on weeding long term, and also costs-from the use of chemicals (which cost money to buy, and time to use), and from paying someone to do your gardening for you-if that is what you do. If you don’t, you can spend less time working in your garden and more time enjoying it, which is the best bit!

What are some things I see at work?

For many clients, if not all of them, they just want the gardening done-quickly and for as cheaply as possible. There is nothing wrong with that. After all there is only so much money sat in the pot.

What isn’t always appreciated is the amount of work needed in their gardens. When there are ten hedges taller than two metres to be done on the outside of a building, along with lawns and several hedges on the inside of a building to be done over the course of a visit of a couple of hours a fortnight there isn’t much time to do things like spraying or weeding. Of course not all of that will get done on every visit, but there is always a lot to do for a team of six people.

That’s why I am of the view that a little work and money spent up front will both later on. If all the garden beds were full of plants constantly, all it would take would be ten minutes to go through them on a visit to each site and pick out the weeds quickly. I always get told no, as that’s not the ‘way it’s done’-mainly just so they can make money doing the ‘easiest’ thing possible.

In conclusion…

If you want a garden that has few weeds, ensure that it is full of plants and that your garden is well cared for. The odd weed or two will get through, but you can never have a completely weed free garden. For the weeds that manage top grow, spend a few minutes a week pulling them out.