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North Yorkshire, United Kingdom Gb

Hi there, I wonder if anybody can help me. I have recently moved into a new house, and inherited a very (very) weedy garden. I have managed to identify most of the weeds, however I cannot find out what this particular one is - and I have it everywhere.



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Answers

 

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.

23 Jan, 2012

 

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

23 Jan, 2012

 

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.

24 Jan, 2012

 

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

24 Jan, 2012

 

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

24 Jan, 2012

 

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.

24 Jan, 2012

 

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

24 Jan, 2012

 

We're glad you found it, too, Nic

24 Jan, 2012

 

:)

24 Jan, 2012

 

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.

25 Jan, 2012

 

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

25 Jan, 2012

 

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?

25 Jan, 2012

 

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.

25 Jan, 2012

 

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...

25 Jan, 2012

 

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

25 Jan, 2012

 

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

25 Jan, 2012

 

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

25 Jan, 2012

 

oh dear :(

25 Jan, 2012

 

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

25 Jan, 2012

 

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

25 Jan, 2012

 

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.

26 Jan, 2012

 

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.

30 Mar, 2012

 

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

30 Mar, 2012

 

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

31 Mar, 2012

How do I say thanks?

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