I went to a lot of trouble earlier this year, sticking canes in for bindweed to grow up. I had an evil plan involving plastic bags and POISON!
Then somehow there was a lot to do. Or it was raining. Or it looked like a lot of effort….
The bindweed stayed. And grew. Then flowered.
Disaster? Well, it’s been here as long as we have (29 years almost exactly). It always grows over the rose at this time of year, just as the anemone begins and the rose has gone over (with just an odd second attempt at flowering, but nothing special…)
I knew of a garden where they tried to grow bindweed on purpose over arches down a path. They failed, it wouldn’t grow. I’m doing better than that, aren’t I?
It’s quite pretty. In fact, it’s very pretty.
It all gets cut down come the winter. It actually is looking much better than the Clematis rehderiana (or, would you believe? nodding virgin’s bower) which is much over rated and is looking horrid =
I think we can keep the bindweed. Don’t you?
You are not alone with bindweed, I battle with it every year. It does have nice flower and bees seem to like it, but if it sets seed you may have it springing up all over the garden, not recommended. It’s the only weed on which I use herbicide as no matter how much root I dig out it comes back. I have grown the “tropical relative” with “fluorescent” violet flowers as an annual.
Well, as I said, we’ve had it for 19 years. It does grow in two other parts of the garden – as it did originally. To my knowledge (and I think we would have to notice) it hasn’t seeded anywhere new in that time, in spite of my never doing anything to stop it seeding.
You are lucky, it springs up every year here, in a different location if I’ve sprayed the previous year. Living by the sea it’s fairly rare to have a day without a breeze so days when it can be sprayed are few, especially if you want to catch it early and “dabbing” it is time consuming and back aching.
Wonder if it decides not to move if you leave it unsprayed! We do keep the garden under mulch…?
Regrettably not, it comes up anyway when I have not sprayed. Pity its vigorousness can’t be used to “cross it” with other plants, or perhaps no one has tried!
Do people want vigour? All that ‘beware of the thug stuff suggests otherwise to me. Which would explain that…
I am dealing with it at the moment. Have sprayed both lawns killing grass included, some of the vine is coming to the surface loosely from dying, with it’s terrible bulb, then 3 spots have huge big roots going too deep for me to dig. Am going to try the boiling water method tomorrow
My neighbors will not clean it up on their side and is a bad problem, killing other plants as it chokes them
I decided in the end to get rid of it and that the only way was glyphosate,- and that is taking several years and much careful repeated application. I don’t believe anything else will do it. Sorry!
I have been thinking about herbicide for bindweed but cant as it is in my coneflowers, milkweeds, pholx. I think unkind thoughts of people who have allowed bindweed to florish so that their seeds have gotten into my yard. it is not native to N America and invasive so I will not allow to remain in my yard when I see it. unfortunately my neighbors, apartment building in back I am looking at you, are not for removing invasives which cause me problems.
Your original plan reminds me of my father’s technique of feeding a weed a little fertilizer first, and then when it’s growing really strong, hit it with RoundUp (Glyphosate).
I would say that if you’re not spreading invasive seeds to a neighbor or a woodland, keep it if you like it.
It shows no sign of finding our woods or our neighbouring fields. I think I like it!
bindweed isn’t not native to N America and spreads via seeds as well as rhizomes. it chokes natives. if you keep it in your yard it will spread to your neighbors.
Well it looks good to me where it is – though you may not want it elsewhere . let it be I say – why sweat over it ?
I heave it out rather half heartedly in the other, more accessible, places…
I left it in my first garden for a year before getting rid of it over the next couple as it was a really small garden. While we did have it I enjoyed the flowers and I do sometimes photo it when I’m on walks as it is a beautiful flower. I’ve also grown the blue morning glories too – look fabulous up a trellis. If say if it’s under control and you enjoy it, let it have its time in the sun! ?
That’s what I’m thinking…..
Yes … go with least resistance. Bring on the Bindweed. Josie x.
Least resistance always wins with me!
It’s beautiful! Year before last I got cherry tomato seeds in my compost… Then last year cherry tomatoes were coming up every where I’d put any compost. This year I accidentally didn’t kill one and now so glad. They are the best tomatoes ever, and so abundant. So now I’ve decided to welcome them. The Bindweed deserves to stay.
Who knows what joys permitted random will bring?
I like it. It grows in one of our fields and I think I’ll try to train it to grow upwards… probably without success, but who knows?
Let us know how you do!
Bindweed is, of course, not the only plant usually regarded as an invasive nuisance that grows at Veddw but, for some reason, doesn’t exceed its allotted space there. Could it be that plants are as scared of Anne as many people are?
That’s an interesting theory…
Some interesting comments particularly those who would leave the bindweed, fine if it can be contained but down here in the South West it would take over the garden, I kid you not. I don’t mind a few weeds and nettles, good for wildlife, but bindweed is the number one thug around here.
That’s interesting, because in 29 years in South Wales it hasn’t moved far at all.Different gardens, different results…
I often think bindweed is a maligned plant, it adorns our hedgerows and makes them sparkle again once the May blossom and Elderflower have gone, but I know it can be a complete pest in the garden. I guess if it’s somewhere you don’t mind it being then that’s fine but it still needs controlling otherwise it’ll spread and crash everything, I hate it when It grows up the foxgloves and the verbena bonariensis but it’s fine through the spring flowering clematis. I’d keep it if I were you Anne, just keep a watchful eye on it.
I’ll be keeping it, I think, bar a miracle! Xx
You need a little edit of the piece. It’s 29 years we have been here, not 19. Great close up! Was that with my camera? I imagine whatever anyone thinks, the bindweed will be here to stay. Why not embrace it in that bed but try to eliminate elsewhere? No, on 2nd thoughts I don’t think I can get it out of my iris bed, either.
I keep making that 19 years mistake! Can’t believe 29 years, is why. I doubt we’ll eliminate the bindweed anywhere!
It was my phone, not your camera….
Yep, you’ve convinced me, Anne, thanks for making me smile đ
Just sent the link to a friend of mine who’s also battling the bindweed!
It’s beautiful!Xxxx
I really loved the pretty pink and white striped bindweed that was growing in my garden until it started strangling and pulling down the English lavender that my mum (who we lost 18 months ago) had grown and looked after for 35 years. And then I found out itâs very poisonous to dogs and as a mummy to 7 little pooches I didnât want to take the risk of them chewing on bindweed growing up the long grasses. I love most of the âweedsâ in my garden and leave them alone as most are so pretty, even the dandelions, but my dogs have to be protected against poisonous plants. I have an ivy that has grown round a tree in my garden and flowers every year and Iâm terrified one of the doglets will eat the berries when they fall and we canât get up that high to remove it all. We have to chicken wire round it all every year to keep the dogs from discovering the berries on the ground- that way the birds still get the berries but the doggies are safe! What a palava?đ
Gardening is not easy!