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Re: One Man's Weed...:)

To chip in my English ten cents or tuppence worth before Nick replies:

The answers to Bob's two questions are yes and yes. A helluva lot of
ivy and a helluva lot of bindweed. Which seed and seed and seed.
There's an abandoned garden next to mine here which is blanketted in
ivy from end to end. Perfect nesting terrritory for birds, of course.
But no good for food. So they come here to eat. Then, having eaten...
Yep, you know what comes next. Guess what I spend part of my Spring
each year removing by the hundreds and thousands? Though it should be
said that ivy, even in plague quantities, still has its uses, at least
in a large garden being managed with limited resources. A friend near
here has an Edwardian garden of many acres, designed to be maintained
by dozens of Edwardian gardeners. She does it single-handed - and says
that, without ivy to (as she puts it) 'sculpt,' she simply couldn't
cope.

Incidentally, my own biggest weed, even bigger than the ivy, is the
common sycamore. I have a mature tree in the garden. What's more, it's
protected by a preservation order. This is a seaside town with few
trees so every one is thought of as precious. I've tried to convince
the powers that be that I could/would plant - indeed, already have
planted - many more trees and much more interesting trees to take its
place - but they just don't see it. If anyone's got any ideas about
how to convince'em, I'd love to hear them. As it is, I spend a couple
of weeks every April pulling out seedlings by the thousand. And, in
England as in Australia, there are always some of those seedlings you
miss and which have turned into miniature trees - with taproots
apparently reaching to Australia - or England, as the case may be - by
the time you spot'em. I'm a law-abiding soul but I confess I harbour
arboricidal feelings towards that sycamore, if only I could think of a
way to Do The Deed and not get fingered as The Guilty Party. Anyone
have any ideas?

Tim
on the sunny, bright but chilly Solway Coast, Cumbria, UK
Tim Longville
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