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Weeds or spontaneous vegetation?
09/08/2025
In the book 'Mild tuinieren (Dutch)', I read this lovely thought 'the difference between a wild flower and a weed is human judgement. That of which there is too much has no value'. Others see weeds as 'squatters' that install themselves in your garden uninvited. Personally, I like the term 'spontaneous vegetation', wildflowers that effortlessly appear in your garden, for free and with a touch of magic. They are like gifts from nature, or at least some species are.
Happily, an upgrade has been set in motion with the campaign 'No Mow May ' where weeds are given a rightful place in the flower meadow or taller grass, so to speak. The added value of this campaign is not just in a few more flowers and higher nectar score, but mainly in the mindset shift they bring about. It is about learning to let go in a number of places, inviting nature and spontaneity into your garden, and partly surrendering to its unpredictability. Sometimes it takes some patience but in the end it always adds value in the long run.
Those who have been following us for a while know that we have a big heart for native local herbs from here, our wildflowers. They are invaluable to our insects that depend on them. And without insects, you have no pollination, no fruit, no vegetables but also no insect-eating birds, bats and hedgehogs. In nature, every species deserves its place and everything is connected. A garden does not have to be an imitation of nature, but with the right approach it can be valuable for our biodiversity.
For a long time, the short, green lawn was the epitome of a neat garden. From the perspective of a bumblebee or butterfly, this is a vast desert, monotonous and devoid of food. A slightly longer lawn full of clovers, brunel, daisies, catsear is a veritable nectar and pollen paradise for them. And a real flower meadow gets a Michelin star from the insects.
Biodiversity benefits from variety, lots of diversity and a wilder patch. I was not wild about dandelions myself, but since I know that 130 of our wild bee species visit them in early spring, they are more than welcome. Comfrey will never win a beauty contest, but the bumblebee feast that takes place there is a sight to behold. A garden full of blooms and life is also just plain fun. You are rewarded with colours, scents, the buzzing of bees, fluttering butterflies, hoverflies in camouflage suits and acrobatic bumblebees.
Some beautiful wildflowers that definitely deserve a place in your garden: common daisy, brown knapweed, field scabious, agrimony, lesser and greater pimpernel, great mullein, musk mallow, yarrow, bellflower, longleaf speedwell and the nectar rich wild marjoram.
Fair is fair... there are also the less desirable herbs that proliferate too well: wood avens, the dreaded duo of field and hedge bindweed, field thistle (even if the bumblebees disagree), bitter dock, ground elder and horsetail. You better keep these in check. The way varies from plant to plant, but it is best to remove them before they drop seeds and you have more the next year. Pulling them out and disposing of them works for most, but with hedge weed and horsetail, you should really try to remove as many roots as possible already. These come back for a long time so you have to keep following it up.
Weeds are natural until they are not. I remember the field edges of the past full of cornflowers, camomile and poppy. Now we already get happy when we see these. The use of pesticides is pernicious for wildflowers in our landscape, and at the same time for our insects. Look at your garden with different eyes and give more wildflowers a place, even if only in a small corner. Be surprised by what spontaneously grows and discover how rich and lively your garden can become too.
Want to know more? Read about it in our blog on flower meadows or get in touch!
Comments
- Prachtige analyse en goed gemotiveerd pleidooi voor biodiversiteit. Ook ik denk met heimwee terug aan mijn jeugd toen de akkers en de velden schitterend blauw en rood kleurden met korenbloemen, klaprozen, enz. Wij weten allen dat de agro industrie nefast is voor de biodiversiteit, maar als burgers kunnen wij als een soort kleinschalige bio-boeren ons steentje bijdragen via bloemenweiden en ons bij de aanleg van tuinen laten leiden door ecologische motieven i.p.v. te pronken met gladgeschoren gazons waar zelfs bomen en struiken niet welkom zijn... Inderdaad, omdat ze soms hun bladeren laten neerdwarrelen, wat voor sommigen aanleiding is om lawaaierige bladblazers boven te halen. Tot slot: het is hemeltergend om vast te stellen hoe akkers en weiden genivelleerd worden, poelen gedempt, hagen gekapt en bomen hoog opgesnoeid worden om de productie te verhogen. Gelukkig zijn er heel wat burgers en ook landbouwers die zich inspannen om deze vicieuze cirkel te doorbreken. (Cyriel Gladines)
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