| I can’t say what it is about weeds that l have always loved? Perhaps it is quite simply because they are misunderstood like some animal species. Whatever your opinion or view is on weeds, they are everywhere, and they are here to stay. Twenty-five years ago, l used to forage for weeds to feed the enormous number of rabbits l had in my commercial breeding operation. Knowing about them made everything easier because it meant that l wouldn’t accidentally kill an animal by feeding the wrong weed. Most weeds are harmless, not all. Of course, some are and can be deadly. The fact is that people don’t like weeds because they don’t belong where they usually appear or are out of place. Many a time, gardeners especially don’t want them because weeds tend to grow quicker and easier than many ornamental flowers. Weeds have a way of surviving. They are ONLY considered weeds on the domestic level because, let’s be honest, when we are out walking in the countryside, how many people are bothered by the presence of weeds then? There are advantages and disadvantages to having weeds in your gardens and yards. They do have a lot of benefits that many people tend to ignore, and this series will highlight that. |
| The Beauty of Weeds Companion Plantings Shelter Encouraging wildlife Fertilising and enriching the soils Providing and active Mulch/Soil protection Attracting pollinators and good insects Repelling pests Food source for animals and humans Serves as decoy crops Great for wildlifing the garden Soil conditioning |
| Forget-me-not [Common] Myosotis arvensis |
“Literature is a vast forest and the masterpieces are the lakes, the towering trees or strange trees… but a forest is also made up of ordinary trees, patches of grass, puddles, clinging vines, mushrooms, and little wildflowers.”
Roberto Bolano
| I do so enjoy seeing the charming tiny flowers of the Forget-me-not. I don’t have any here in my current garden, but it grows in abundance between early April to the end of September, and l see it often during my many walks around the countryside. It’s a weed, although some refer to it as a wildflower and others still as a herb. It has beautiful flowers in sky blue, pink or white with yellow centres and can easily attain a bushel height of between 6 – 12″. The flower can self-seed and sprout up the following year, and l think it makes for a beautiful addition to not just a garden but a wildlife garden too. This flower likes conditions to be slightly damp, and if met, it will flourish. It’s excellent as ground cover and does well in the shadier parts of your garden. Many bees love forget-me-nots as well for the flower’s nectar, as do many other pollinating insects. Some bird species also enjoy the flower for the seeds. |
| I hope you enjoyed F is for Forget-me-not [Common] and I’ll see you again soon. The Autistic Composter |
Earthly Comforts 
I haven’t seen them here in Pakistan.
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Hey Sadje, interestingly enough, having just looked, they can be found in Pakistan.
Although there might be a species variation as in Myosotis sylvatica opposed to Myosotis arvensis 🙂
https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:119282-1#:~:text=The%20native%20range%20of%20this,the%20temperate%20biome(s).
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Perhaps I haven’t come across them.
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Quite possibly 🙂
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👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
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Little fairy flowers. Such a lovely blue. I didn’t know there are different colors, Rory.
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Hey Betty it is a lovely flower, l wasn’t aware of other colours until literally this summer when they were pointed out to me in the reserve 🙂
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Well, than k you for sharing the information, Rory. 🙂
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I think they are lovely flowers and also didn’t realize there were other colors. Many so-called weeds are beneficial in nature and for humans.
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Hey Eugenia, yes very much so. Weeds are just wild flowers in the wrong spot 🙂
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Yes, that’s true, Rory. 😉
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