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Permalink Reply by Sean Busby on April 17, 2011 at 8:26

All these plants have a place in the garden, but random self seeding inevitably leads to some of them appearing in places where they don't work, and so they have to be removed. However, they can be saved, potted up, moved to other parts of the garden, even taken to other customers. Obviously they don't all come true, but I never just chuck them away without considering alternative first.

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PRO MemberPermalink Reply by Phil Voice on April 17, 2011 at 10:36

How many times have I been faced with this over my time in horticulture.

 

It is said that a weed is a plant in the wrong place but I guess it's up to our clients to decide what constitutes the wrong place: I guess it's always a case of doing what the client wishes but gently trying to persuade them otherwise if you feel they'd appreciate seeing the plant/weed flourish when it's at its optimum.

 

I always found it most difficult when working in a residents' association or office block scenario where every resident or office worker considered themselves to be your boss; all having different views/likes/dislikes.

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PRO MemberPermalink Reply by Marc ~ Pro-Cut on April 17, 2011 at 11:40

Green Alkanet is the bain of my life in a group of my customers gardens.

 

They are so incredibly invasive but some of my customers are convinced they are forget me nots.

 

I try to educate but sometimes your just banging your head. These things arn't small either but hey ho if the customer likes them :0)

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PRO MemberPermalink Reply by Jen@A&J Owenwindows&gardens on April 17, 2011 at 12:54

I do like alkanet but it does spread very quickly!  I had one customer who hated bluebells (they'd been planted in gravel) but I persuaded him to leave them till they were in flower and he appreciated how lovely they were :)

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Permalink Reply by Paul @ Ashgate Garden Care on April 17, 2011 at 14:37

Did a job a couple of years ago with the brief of mowing the lawn, cutting the hedges and tidying the border.

 

I chopped a load of bay willow herb down in the paved area which was engulfing the shed and heating oil tank (I needed to do so to get to the hawthorn hedge behind).

 

A few hours later I was making small talk with the customer and asked her if everything looked ok. Her face turned into looking like she was chewing a wasp and said she was dissapointed I had chopped the willow herb because it was hiding the oil tank !

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PRO MemberPermalink Reply by Jen@A&J Owenwindows&gardens on April 17, 2011 at 15:26

I can think of a lot nicer ways of hiding the oil tank!

Paul @ Ashgate Garden Care said:

Did a job a couple of years ago with the brief of mowing the lawn, cutting the hedges and tidying the border.

 

I chopped a load of bay willow herb down in the paved area which was engulfing the shed and heating oil tank (I needed to do so to get to the hawthorn hedge behind).

 

A few hours later I was making small talk with the customer and asked her if everything looked ok. Her face turned into looking like she was chewing a wasp and said she was dissapointed I had chopped the willow herb because it was hiding the oil tank !

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PRO MemberPermalink Reply by Jen@A&J Owenwindows&gardens on April 17, 2011 at 19:46

I did have a funny one on Thursday. We've been battling ground elder at this garden for over a year. Don't often see the owner but he happened to come home whilst we were there this week. Said how pleased he was etc, pots we'd done looking good.

Said I was glad considering the battle with the ground elder wasn't really won. He said he was happy as long as edges neat etc and weeds not too bad!

By the way he says, what's that nice plant by the electrics box......it was the ground elder...!!

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