Teal Shirtdress

 

I read an article listing plants to avoid putting in your yard: English ivy, morning glory, Japanese knotweed, bishop’s weed, lily of the valley, purple loosestrife, wisteria, mint, yellow flag iris, creeping Jenny, butterfly bush, and periwinkle. The problem with these is they’re aggressive; they can choke out other species. They’ll take over your yard, then help themselves to your neighbors’ gardens as well. I once cleared morning glory from rental property, and found it had grown THROUGH foundations and tree roots. We had an English ivy vine punch through our wall and into the family room. Several years of gardening have taught us mint should always be planted in pots. We currently have bishop’s weed and periwinkle growing in spots they’re not likely to escape. But we’ve noticed creeping Jenny sneaking through the fence and into our raspberries. I thought it was interesting the article didn’t mention our personal nemeses: forsythia, spirea, or quaking aspen.