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Gardening

HELP Grape Hyacinth

(42 Posts)
jeanie99 Mon 22-Oct-18 10:07:36

I don't even know how they got into my garden I never planted them, it's a complete mystery.
They are even now in the back garden.

Greyduster Mon 22-Oct-18 08:51:02

Jalima, I have to ‘have a go’ at ajuga reptans soon or I will lose my rockery wall to them!! Trouble is, when they are in flower they look so handsome. As for grape hyacinths, we did battle with them in our last garden, and yes, eventually they just disappeared. So, unfortunately, did my lily of the valley ☹️.

NfkDumpling Mon 22-Oct-18 07:56:28

Ooo, go on - a bit of guerilla gardening is such fun! wink

Jane10 Mon 22-Oct-18 07:43:03

Thanks for the kind offer nfk but we don't have a garden. We'll we do but it's the one for our whole block of flats. We have an excellent gardener and (naturally!) a gardening committee so I couldn't possibly presume to plant anything myself!

Jalima1108 Sun 21-Oct-18 23:04:55

annsixty my grape hyacinths have disappeared too.

In fact I thought that this thread would be about them disappearing, not about trying to get rid of them!
The lily of the valley won't grow here either.

Someone gave me an ajuga plant once and said they were good ground cover - yes they are, can't get rid of them!

merlotgran Sun 21-Oct-18 22:34:03

Funny how one woman's nurtured plant is another woman's weed. I can't get Lily of the Valley to thrive either.

But..Borage anyone??

BlueBelle Sun 21-Oct-18 22:30:54

I have a garden full of violets too Nfk love them
I love things that just look after the self and produce
I too have loads and loads of lily of the valley my neighbour just asked me for some and cowslips by the dozens I have never wanted a ‘planted’ garden I love things that spring up and grow

NfkDumpling Sun 21-Oct-18 22:20:50

I’ll send you some Jane, they swamp everything. The advantage is they also swamp weeds!

It’s taken a year or two Jeanie to slim down the grape hyacinths, and I had to dig out the perennials as I said to get to the bulbs. I have to say though none of the plants they got into seem to suffer from cohabiting. You could just leave them.

My next challenge is lily of the valley!

jeanie99 Sun 21-Oct-18 22:07:05

Would it be better do you think if I allowed the plants to go larger and then did dig them out.
The problem I am having with the small growth is they detach from the bulb when I try to dig them out.
In addition they are growing through my other plants which I don't want to have to dig out and replant because there are so many.

Jane10 Sun 21-Oct-18 22:00:32

Oh but violets! I love them so much. You're so lucky nfk!

NfkDumpling Sun 21-Oct-18 21:58:59

I think I may be winning against the grape hyacinths by digging up perennials they’ve got into, turning the plants upside and winkling out all the horrible little bulbs from the roots and then replanting them. At present I’m waging war against violets, they have similar sneaky habits and more pernicious roots.

I’ve had a lovely display of grape hyacinths this year -in pots.

merlotgran Sun 21-Oct-18 20:55:40

Plants will stop flowering if they are overcrowded. I love grape hyacinths and am thrilled if they spread because we're a dry garden and they like some moisture.

Digging them up will just leave space for those left behind.

There are worse invasive plants.

BlueBelle Sun 21-Oct-18 20:17:25

But they re a lovely little plant dig the bulbs up and give them away that’s what I ve done with my Montbrezia had so many they stopped flowering dug them all up and gave them away

cornergran Sun 21-Oct-18 19:45:41

Same here ann, leaves, leaves and more leaves. Flowers? Nope hmm

annsixty Sun 21-Oct-18 19:43:06

We have had them for years with nothing working, suddenly they disappeared spontaneously.
Has anyone else had this happen?
We ended up with millions of leaves and few flowers.
So pleased to be rid of them.

BBbevan Sun 21-Oct-18 19:32:52

Nope. My DH hates the little b----rs. Good luck

jeanie99 Sun 21-Oct-18 18:57:54

I am loosing the battle to get rid of this plant which is everywhere.
It grows through plants and the more I try and dig out the bulbs the more seem to sprout up.
Does anyone have experience of clearly this plant out of their garden.