Almost two years ago to the day, I wrote about my experiences with this plant, warning anyone reading to stay far away from it:
After spending some time during the past few weeks pulling up more of this violet, I felt it was time to issue the warning again.
Don’t purchase this plant (yes, I’ve seen it for sale!), or take it from a “friend,” or let it grow in “just a little area.”
Take it from me- it won’t stay in that little area. We recently found some growing under the deck we removed a few months ago.
Under a deck. Not even grass grows there.
Does anyone else have experience with this plant? How do you get rid of it (or keep it under control)?
How about you share some good things going on in your gardens and brighten my day? *smile*
I believe a cottage can be anywhere or anything (condo, ranch, farmhouse) as long as you have a "cottage mentality" which puts people above things, celebrates imperfections, embraces simplicity, and finds joy in everyday life. Thanks for joining me!
I think I had some of that in the yard, most likely still do, not everything is blooming yet. My plants do not stay where I would like them to be, either!
That is how I feel about mint. I naively planted it about 8 years ago. I kick myself every year for planting it in my garden.
Thanks for the linkup.
We have to be more concerned with Kudzu in our neck of the woods!
I think you have to dig it out, rather than pull it out so you get all the little nodules, and just keep on top of it in your garden beds. That said, perhaps it’s not quite as much of a thug here east of the Mississippi. I like having some in my yard and garden to make candied violets with, and I use the flowers and young leaves in salads (they’re very high in vitamin C), and the flowers look fabulous sprinkled on top of steamed or roasted asparagus.
I’m battling sweet autumn clematis, which is coming up everywhere in my yard and garden and just breaks off at the soil when you try to pull it out. These garden thugs are shameless! Enticing you to plant them with their cute looks, sweet scents . . . .
Diana
Funny, I love violets. The remind me of my Grandpa. He always had a few stragglers of them in his garden. I could never get them to take for me. Your soil must be just right.
Something unusual I found – I planted some unmarked seed packs which turned out to be morning glories. But not just morning glories, but a type that has different colored blossoms (so far pink and purple on the same plant). No idea where I got the seeds from but I’m happy with my surprise.
I feel the same way about vinca major! That stuff just grows and grows. NOTHING will get rid of it. I fight it every year. It is currently growing in a bed two beds away from the original planting site under a fence.
I couldnt help but LOL! I have this plant in my flower bed. I planted it to fill in the bare parts and that it did. It has taken over. I find it between the bricks, other flower beds, and I even found it growing in a crack in the driveway. You cant help but smile though with its cute little purple flowers. Every spring I pull must of it out and by the end of summer it has filled in again. I havent tried to remove it, I just manage it
Michelle
I have experienced the never-ending lifespan of lemon balm, a member of the mint family. I saw it growing in a friend’s garden many years ago,before I knew anything about it,and thought it would be nice to have some in our new garden for making tea. (It does smell very lemony.) I started it myself from seed (they sell this seed with no warnings on the packet!), and plated it around. Ten years later, I am still yanking this stuff out of the garden–it grows in the cracks of cement walls and the sidewalk!
That’s interesting to know. I’ve seen that plant around town. I’ll have to go thro ugh my photos, because I’m sure I’ve got apicture of it somewhere!! Love and hugs from Oregon, Heather
The violet isn’t such a nemesis here in the Philly area. However, I have this horrible plant that spreads underground via an incredible root system. I hate to say that we use Roundup, but we did on this plant because we could never get it completely removed. The Roundup didn’t do much either. The plant suffered, laughed, and came back to life. Ergh!
That said, the plants are doing great in my garden thanks to all the rain this spring!
Another nightmare plant I have seen for sale in nurseries, with no warnings is crown vetch. It has beautiful pink and white flowers like a large clover, but is incredibly invasive and persistant. A former landlord had it on a steep bank adjacent to his orchard. It is marketed as an erosion control plant. He dug it, he smothered it, he mowed it, he sprayed it with roundup…. We drove past there a few weeks ago, and after twenty years, it is still there.
Oh, my goodness, we all have some stories, don’t we? I have to agree with Athena about the lemon balm- I planted that in my old house and spent years pulling it up before we moved. I just smile knowingly when I hear someone recommending it for an herb garden…
Yikes Jami!! Thanks for the warning about the infamous violet! I didn’t realize they were crazy growing! Not that anything would grow in my clay soil but with your words of wisdom, I’d rather not take that chance! ;0)
Jami,
Are yours blooming well in the sun? Mine only gave me 6 flowers this year! I have mine all in semi-shady places; maybe they aren’t liking it so much.
Lemonbalm is very well behaved in my garden — I’ve had a little clump of it in my vegetable garden for years. It has moved a couple of feet and a few seeds germinate here and there, but it isn’t at all invasive (and honestly, I have a serious nutsedge problem. Its nice to pull something other than nutsedge every once and a while.) It definitely depends on the climate. I bet the violets would behave or even die on me. My grandmother’s garden always had johnny jump-ups and I love them. They really do jump up everywhere, and if anyone got a plant from grandma’s garden, it seemed like a johnny jump-up would tag along in the pot.
And Rue – that too will take over the world if left alone!
Our nemesis here in the desert is Lantana. I know, I know, there are apparently several varieties & some of those are really pretty. What we grow here is more like a weed. The flowers are pretty, but the plant can quickly grow out-of-control, reseeds itself & goes everywhere you don’t want it. It also has stickers! Good luck on getting rid of your problem plant.
Wow thanks for the warning!