It's one of the cranesbill type Geraniums, so not a weed. Just dig out the ones you don't want if there are too many.

oh wow, in which case i am rich with geraniums :) thank you

Met this one before. I bet it just *looks* like a geranium. Have a look at creeping buttercup which, I am afraid, is not quite so nice.

that will go nicely with my bindweed, horsetail, brambles and goosegrass then! the only thing i appear to be missing is ground elder lol

I agree with bamboo its a type of geranium, definately not creeping buttercup.

I have loads of this stuff growing in clumps every year - darned nuisance, and yes it's a cranesbill/geranium with very insignificant flowers, if you let it get that far!
Welcome to GoY, Littlenic. It sounds as if you are going to be asking lots of questions in the coming year if your inherited garden is that bad! I'm sure there are people here who have the expertise to help.

Thank you everyone I really appreciate your help - I think I will be asking lots of questions. It's a good job I'm one of those strange people who enjoys weeding.

This looks like a great website, I'm glad I found it.

Nic

We're glad you found it, too, Nic

:)

Anybody want a bet? Lol. Wait until summer. Do a GOY search on the creeping buttercup (Ranunculus repens). Dozens of gardeners who start out thinking they have nice little hardy geraniums all over their gardens, and dozens disappointed.

now the sarraceniac, i do hope you don't win that bet. i don't think it's creeping buttercup, because i had it in my old garden (along with ground elder imported with a 'gift' from my mum's garden) but i guess there's a chance. fingers crossed the flowers will be purple and not yellow.

off to murder some bindweed

Oh, if only it was actually possible to finally murder bindweed.
Sarraceniac, maybe my vision's not great, but I thought the pic above, blurry though it is, is actually showing dark pinkish/purple flowers?

Don't think so. Picture blurry but I think that splash of pinkish/red is winter foliage. Which if they are, still does not solve the problem because in mild winters hardy geraniums put out that colour. But before I got rid of my Ranunculus totalus horriblus that did too, all year. But Nic says the flowers *will* be not *are*..... And geraniums (no matter how hardy) flowering in January? A definite no-no. Mine are struggling even in a mild winter to hang on to a few leaves.

I have a fool proof cure for bindweed too..............you got to dig a lot. LOL.

I don't know, Sarraceniac - I currently have 2 flowers on a Geranium downstairs, not to mention the Eryisum which is still in fine fettle, covered with, admittedly, sparse blooms, but they're still there. Rather depends what part of the country Littlenic is in...

You're right Sarraceniac - it isn't flowering just now, it's a bronzy red tinge to some of the leaves (they also had this in August, which is when I inherited the garden)

I'm in York

oh and they are actively growing now - popping up all over

Ah - then in that case, it might be the dreaded creeping buttercup instead...

oh dear :(

Let me assure you, its not creeping buttercup, it is a type of Geranium 100%

It does look like that to me too, Julien - time will tell, the pic's a bit fuzzy.

Well, it is certainly interesting. I'm only about 35 miles from you Nic and my geraniums have some leaves on (except the white and magenta ones) but I couldn't describe them as growing at the moment, struggling more like. The fact that they had a red tinge in summer puts me off buttercup a little, that is usually lightish green in summer with few or no flowers, but the fact that they are growing now makes me wonder about Julien's 100% certainty of geranium. Could be we are all wrong and it is neither? Let's see what happens in late June. If they are a geranium then what colour? And if they produce sparse yellow (or no) flowers then it is probably buttercup which procreates by runner not by self seeding. For goodness sake Nic, please do not forget to keep us informed. It is really quite intriguing and I'd hate to have to tootle down the A64 to spend a day or two searching York for the answer. Lol.

Hello - I don't know if anyone will see this from so long ago...

anyway, some of these have flowered. they have a tiny pink flower, about the size of a forget me not flower. so not a buttercup after all.

Just occasionally we get it right! Thanks for the update, Littlenic!

Thanks for letting us know - means Julien and I were spot on, its a Geranium, which is a comfort because it means my sight's not as bad as I thought it might be, lol