Ellen Leigh
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I'm sure a lot of people think we just let the weeds grow around here. There is a method to our madness, and by letting things grow, we have discovered a lot of interesting wildflowers we never noticed before. We still #weed , but mostly removing invasive species. #DailyPictureTheme #Weed
09:28 AM - Apr 20, 2024
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Sabine
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In response to Ellen Leigh.
That looks intriguing.Ellen, what kind of plant is this?
01:56 PM - Apr 20, 2024
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Ellen Leigh
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In response to Sabine.
This is Milkweed. It is the larval food plant for the Monarch butterfly and a couple of other insect species. The flowers have a lovely scent. It spreads by underground runners, so it can be a bit of a thug in gardens. It has space to form colonies here. I prefer Swamp Milkweed, it's better behaved.
02:23 PM - Apr 20, 2024 (Edited)
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Carla Reid + Chilla
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In response to Ellen Leigh.
A weed, not referencing invasive species, is only a weed because an individual considers it unwanted.
One of the most important "weeds" is the Dandelion. You don't need to let it go to seed, but let it bloom for the bees as it can be their first food.
11:46 AM - Apr 20, 2024
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Ellen Leigh
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In response to Carla Reid + Chilla.
Absolutely! I have a few flowers and herbs that I am careful to deadhead so they don't reseed themselves all over. By the same token, there are some weeds I allow to grow because they are delicious!
01:14 PM - Apr 20, 2024
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TheQuietOne
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In response to Carla Reid + Chilla.
I've read a bit of push back on dandelions and bees. It said that at the same time as dandelions are blooming that there's a lot of tree pollen available and that pollen has higher quality proteins. IIRC it came from Michigan State U. which has excellent horticulture and apiary departments.
02:00 PM - Apr 20, 2024
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