MORE Thugs!!

Here are my thoughts and experiences on some of your thugs.

Campanula glomerata - my slugs eat it quicker than it can grow so I've never found out if it's a thug or not

Lysimachia family
'Firecracker' is surrounded by a physical barrier to stop it running. The others I grow are on heavy clay which slows their progress to a crawl

Lamium galeobdolon
Ys, I'm still pulling out pieces from a plant I tried to get rid of year ago. 'Herman's Pride' doesn't run at all; it's a clump former

Phalaris
I've got this in a pot on the dge of my pond. It needs dividing every three years

Persicaria 'Red Dragon'
Now I wouldn't have called this a thug at all. It sits in heavy clay under a magnolia and fills a difficult spot

Well Spritz I can only say that you have very beautiful 'thugs'.

Agree Ginellie, I wouldn't mind any of these 'thugs'!

I've given up trying to grow Campanula Glomerata in my garden. It always does a disappearing act!

Spritz i'm coming to live next door to you , so you can send your thugs round to my house.They look lovely to me.

they are all so pretty barbara, love em all :o))

I have no idea about 'thugs' but would still love to be your nieghbour! Lol

imagine all them lovely plants and cutting ian , living next to barbara :o))

I am San, that's why I want to live next door. Lol

I had no idea there were so many "thugs" around! Perhaps as I've "gardened" in pots for most of my gardening life I'm lucky! Other than Busy Lizzies & Lobelias, can they be considered "thugs"?, everything else behaves very well. The Impatiens & Lobelia self seed all over the place & come up in the most unlikeliest of places. But they are always so pretty I haven't the heart to get rid of them & they flower where they seed.

I've found Lobelia flowering in the patch of grass in front of my balcony, can't say the same for the Impatiens. The climbing Nasturtiums also self seeded into the grass & even managed to make several pairs of leaves before the council gardeners came round to cut the grass. This spring, before the gardeners came round, I had a couple of Pansies flowering in the edge between the concrete floor of the balcony & the grass! They didn't survive the strimmer though. :-(

Oh man U nailed it, I am so very cautious with "Thigs" but I 2 have a few in my garden. I am fighting with all my might, and others think I am totally off my trolley guarding my garden. Mt theory is as I grow older I will NOT be able to control these pretty little monsters. Now I will have to read your other Blog on "Thugs" Thanks so much, I think garden centers are sometimes very, very irresponsible not to warn us about the invasive tendensies of some plants.
You touched something close to my little heart on this. Plus the photos, A1.

"thigs" doon heheh, sorry just tickled me lol

Another beautiful set of Thugs :~))
Could never care less how thuggish a geranium is. they have to be one of the prettiest and most useful plants around. Not blousy or brash just pretty in a restrained way.
Like the look of Lysimachia clethroides I have had the others in the past nd found them usefull wehn I had a large garden
Crocosmia the common form is a right royal pain :~)))

Thanks for all the great comments, everyone. Andrew - your comments are very interesting, on how you handle the 'thugs' in your garden. My Persicarias have just gone mad in the new bed! That's why I included them.

Doon, oh yes - I do agree that plants should have a warning label! I bet they never will, though.- and they ARE all pretty, even though they are thugs!

Yes, Pip - I love ALL my geraniums! I only added 'Bill' because it was mentioned as a prolific 'seeder', which it is! :-)

I remember years ago certain sedums were sold, can't remember the variety, but they caused great problems in gardens. I bought a helianthus lemon queen from the garden show at the nec about ten years ago. It looked so delicate and pretty in its pot I had to have it and yes, it rampaged, almost competed with my rhus typhina as they were in the same bed:-)

Uh-oh! I was offered a piece of 'Lemon Queen' by a friend, and declined! I'm glad I did, now! Sedums? I suppose the yellow-flowered one I have does spread rather a lot! It isn't really a problem, though.

Must say Spritzhenry I have most of your thugs in my garden, oops, but must admit love them all, I too have your geranium pyrenacium and a white version, pops up everywhere but as you say easy to pull out but really does earn its keep keep cutting back and just keeps coming back, still flowering now, I bought lysimachia ephemerum this year too, also have white version of your campanula which doesn't spread too much here either.

We eliminated just about all the Hypericums from our garden - or tried to... they just became to invasive. I love all sorts of things but, if they behave like thugs they get the old heave ho!

I'm also pretty vicious at pruning stuff back. When Mr MB sees me with the secateurs and long handled loppers he tends to keep away!

well i wish C glomerata would be a thug. my hermans pride does stroll but hasnt started to run. I agree about the red dragon and the yellow lysmachia. never had any of the white one [hint hint :o)] but would love to try it next year in a difficult bed i have yet to weed. first year i have grown the pearl so i had better keep an eye out for it. thanksfor the warning spritz.

great blog as usuall. :o)

My C glometra hasnt thrived at all its still there but down to just a few leaves left I will try it somewhere different again next year.Like you I love my geraniums and they allways provide lots of cuttings.Your thugs are lovely.

I'm the same with C. glomerata, just does a disappearing act. I love all the others, the helianthemum is a real runner isn't it LOL, Persicaria red dragon grows amazingly quickly, but I still love it. As for Lysimachia clethroides, I'm hoping it will grow well as it's in a difficult place, so it can do it's thing :) That Phalaris, I wouldn't give it to my worst enemy LOL

Lovely photos Spritz, i don't have any of those in my garden .... well, apart from the Geranium (Bill Wallace) you gave me ;-)

Some of your thugs are pretty.
However, I remember that Helianthus and Phalaris. I had them in my old garden once. I managed to get rid of them, and I definately don't want them here.

Any hints on getting rid of the Phalaris gratefully received, Hywel! :-)

Louise - you'll love 'Bill'! His babies are easily spotted and removed, if you don't want too many.

Just a question Spritzhenry, I swapped some seed of Bill Wallis few years ago, when it flowered wasn't sure if it was right, as looks more pinky than blue, and in plantworld catalogue they have three varieties, Bill Wallis, Summer Sky and Summer Snow, have summer snow, but looking at their picture thought mine looked more like Summer Sky, but now I've seen your picture mine does look like yours, have a picture on first page of my photo's , would value your opinion.

I did take a look - and I can't be sure, as I haven't got 'Summer Sky' (or the white one!) I will take a look at my Geranium books, though. :-)

Morning Spritz, How's you and sunny Somerset this morning?

Your thugs are still gorgeous colours Spritz! I find the Gardeners Garters come up in the lawn too!! I love the stuff but you're right...it's a great spreader!

Morning Mr Digger....how's you?

What is it with Campanula Glomerata? I have the 'disappearing' problem with this one too.

I just got rid of the Phalaris by constantly digging it out . I don't think there's another way. :o(

Hi Fluff, sorry I didn't answer straight away but I've been watching TV for a while!

Well i think all of your thugs are great........

Hi Ian - got a headache due to two bad asthma attacks in 12 hours - so not too bright, I'm afraid - nor is the weather! :-((

Holly, you'd be welcome to come and help dig the Phalaris out! Hmmm....OR any of the other thugs, come to that! :-))

sorry to hear about your asthma attacks......... i suffer with them as well and have a lung condition so know how you feel............. im always better in the summer...........you have so many lovely plants in your garden... im happy when i can just get something to grow...lol......

Thanks, Holly. They really are horrible, aren't they! My 'puffer' helps, but it's left me with a really bad headache. I shall have to resort to some painkillers, I think. :-(( I don't think I'll be gardening today, somehow.

Oh Spritz! I hate to think of you being ill and hope you get better soon.
I suffer from migranes and find the only remedy is to hide under the douvet for a few hours!
My son's brother (if that makes sense!) suffers terribly with athma and has his own nebulizer for when he's at his worst, which is usually at this time of year.

Get well soon. X X X

I'm not ill - just not quite myself, Ian - it'll go soon, I'm sure. Thanks for the concern! :-))

Your very welcome!
I always go over the top with asthmatics as Adam (Stewart's brother) is really ill with his asthma. :~((

I'm sorry to hear about your asthma attacks Spritz and hope you soon feel better. I loved your Thugs blog and agree with some others that they are lovely looking thugs, but know what you mean. I'm a bit fed up with Campanula glomerata, a white one in my case. It has tried to take over and has killed off, by strangulation, a lovely Coreopsis which flowered for ages. It did it behind my back, because I can't get to things now as I used to. Your thug Bill Wallace (if it that's what it is) is gorgeous, I wouldn't mind that thug.

I have a few thugs that i dont mind but never again will I have Houttuynai cordata chemeleon took me 5 years to get rid of this

This has been really interesting - I can't keep C. glomerata here in London either, it just disappears. And the fact you don't have trouble with Kerria in your garden, Spritz, leads me to state the obvious - some plants will be thugs in some gardens, depending on conditions, I guess. Hypericum calycinum and Vinca - two of my pet hates, spent too many years digging them out...

In some beds, Vinca has been angelic - but in others, an absolute thug. I should add Vinca difformis 'Jenny Pym' to the list - in fact, I shall edit the blog and put it in as a dire warning. I wish I'd never planted it - pretty though it is! It's in flower now - but it has strangled a litle Corylopsis paucifolia. I am about to hack it back yet again!

Love all your plants thugs or not.

Haha, Clarice! I could send you a piece of each of them, and your pretty, tidy garden would turn into a jungle!

No - I wouldn't be so nasty, really. Thanks for the comment!

What about Plumbago (ceratostigma) I want to get this one, but I do not know if it is "thuggish"???????
OK Sanbaz, I will get U 4 that thig spelling mistake sometime later on, LOL!!!
I hate making spelling mistakes, so U caught me in an unguarded moment, teh heh!!!can I make the excuse it is not my first language!!!!!!LOL!!!
I am going to go out & take a photo of two plants I particularly can not get rid off, and please advise me. It will also be under THUGS.

No - it's a perfectly well-behaved and beautiful plant, Doon. Lovely! I have two different ones - C. willmottianum gets to max. 3', while C. plumbaginoides is a lot smaller - it hugs the ground. I'll take a look at your 'thugs' and see if I can ID them. If not, you can post them as questions!

I am pleased I am not the only one with dissapearing campanula glometra may be they have all gone to live with Spritzhenry? M y son has asthma so I know what you mean by not feeling right .The hospital has just doubled his night time tablet as they have decided he is a winter asthmatic? Did you get your flu jab?

No, not yet - I must book it! I'm a bit late this year. My Asthma is called 'late onset', as I didn't get it until I was 60!

Lovely thugs!!
I'd take them all & plant them opposite my house to hide the warehouses (& the worst thug of all, Leylandii!!!) that I now see when I open my curtains!

You need the tall ones, then, Marie! LOL.

Asthma is not a nice thing to have but at least my son was diagnosed at 13months so he has had time to get used to it.It must be so much worse to be diagnosed later in life.

I went to see my GP about something else - and kept coughing! She immediately did one of those tests on me - and broke the news that I had Asthma! Great - NOT. :-((

I was told I had asthma, then they changed their minds!! :~}
You're right, B! I do need the tall ones, but the others would give my housebound neighbor something pretty to look at, since they stole her view!!

Sorry to hear about your asthma hope you get over it quickly, I also developed it at 60, think it was the cats.......dont have it now, thank goodness, no animals.
Have most of your thugs, but they are kept under control as we only have a small garden, and it does depend on the soil as well, in fact, I wouldnt be without some of them, the campanula, the achillea, the vinca, black bamboo, persicaria, and yes the gardeners garters...... sometimes it is easier with a small garden to keep things in check because they just do not have the room to be rampant.

Hohoho - you have been lucky, Dee - Whatever the size of the garden makes no difference at all to the spread of some of these thugs! My back garden is small - and it was just overwhelmed by the Hypericum plants! I am going to get rid of every seedling, as I don't want it to happen again.

Do you talk nicely to the Phalaris - or yell at it to keep it in its place? LOL. Whatever I do, it comes back up again - I'd like to clear the lot and replant with something more interesting, really. Oh dear - I suspect this will be a 'fork and back into it' job!

The Phalaris spreads in our daughters garden she is on clay, we are not, when it looks like it is going walkabout I just dig a bit out. Imagine when I plant the Arundo Donax!!!!!

You might have to consider sinking a barrier round it, Dd. Just a thought!

i really would like to get rid of the Phalaris - I wish our predecessors hadn't planted it. It's was already a huge patch when we came, and although I've managed to remove some, there's a daunting area left there still!

I imagine when it takes hold it can be a beast to dig out........so good luck.

Thanks - I shall need it! I shall also need stamina and strength! lol. I reckon it will be dig for a few minutes, go off and do something else, then go back to it. Not a job to try to do all at once, that's for sure!

Try a three pronged fork - makes it a bit easier going, just takes longer, lol.

I haven't got one, Wagger - maybe I should ask around??

Come and dig in my garden for one day and you'll have one, lol.

OK - I'll be with you in about 4 hours. :-))))

Put the kettle on, won't you! lol.

Tea or coffee?

Too late, Wagger - no response, so no show! I wasn't going to set off when I didn't know if you'd be there to welcome me, now was I?

And I hear that tomorrow the weather is going to get WORSE! (sorry!) :-(((((((((

I was in the garden and didn't hear the computer ringing - Tomorrow's no good anyway, I've got to go and get a drive cable for the mower - he's having to PUSH IT at the moment, lol.

Don't get too wet, will you?

Its already been said but they really are the most beautiful thugs. I have both bamboo and crocosmia but both are in large containers. I used to have a variety of crocosmia that took over and it took me years to get rid of completely. Sometimes I still find a bit here and there. I also had vinca as `ground cover`, I soon had to get rid of that too!

Sandra x

It's sad that 'thugs' can't behave themselves, isn't it! And how right you are - getting rid of them is very, very difficult. :-((

Don't get too wet? A water main has burst on the main road this morning and guess where the lowest point is? There's a lake at the bottom of the road and a river pouring along my front path, under the side gate and the lawn? is a lake. Fortunately the workmen have arrived to dig it up. I've just put a picture up.

It looks awful - I hope it drains away before I come over to dig....maybe I'd better wait until the workmen have finished??

They've repaired the leak but the hole in the road is still there - more traffic lights. There's another set a mile down the road where they have been trying, unsuccessfully, to cure a leak - for THREE YEARS!

It has all drained away now but very, very squelchy underfoot (or underwellie).

How ridiculous is that! Who's paying for all that wasted water? YOU are! Mind you - at the corner of our lane, they've dug the road up because of leaks at least 5 times in the past year - and I don't understand why 'once' didn't mend it!

Every couple of months back they come with their digger and have another go and every couple of months plus a few days it starts running down the hill again. Perhaps a water diviner could show them where the leak is?

Hi Wagger, sorry about your flood - I know all about those (see my photos)

Spritz - good advice on the thugs - bamboo is our main problem. I can cope with the Lysimachias, and the clay soil stops many things from taking over, as others have noticed.

I have a difficult rampant little weed and will point that out one of these days

Yes - why not? Do you know what it is?

I see what you mean, Rachelsmum - same as you it was only the garden which was flooded but ours was a one-off, not a regular event like yours, poor you. Mind you within 24 hours of the repair it was leaking again and they had to come back last Saturday night. Seems to be ok so far...........!