Tag Archives: garden

Weeds growing in a gravel bed turning blue and green

My garden was designed by Spaniards to be maintenance free: tiled patio and gravelled garden with trees and flagstones. I used to weed it … Mindful Zen practice or pain in the arse … Take your pick. I chose the former but it WAS a pain in the arse for the following reasons: in our warm wet climate weeds insinuate themselves between cracks in the grouting, are pulled out along with the grouting, and then water and other flora get underneath and before you know it a platoon of mushrrooms has raised the whole tile in to a 45 degree salute.

Meanwhile earth has built up between and beneath the stones and created the perfect growing conditions for a host of grasses, dandelion and many other less obvious but equally determined ‘roses by any other name’. Pull them up and eventually bits of black underlay weed suppressant fabric hang about in the ‘ornamental garden’ like untucked black shirt tales.

To hell with it. Let everything grow and be rustic … The fauna likes it and so does the sunlight.

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