Gardens featuring more weeds and less formality took centre stage at this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show, placing more emphasis on letting nature take control. Native plants and trees, nettles, dandelions and a predominantly green palette of planting featured in many of the 36 show gardens, along with salvaged and upcycled materials.
Green-fingered Brits are now being encouraged to leave weeds alone and let them grow in the garden. The experts at GardeningExpress.co.uk have revealed the five surprising reasons why people shouldn’t get rid of weeds.
Despite their bad reputation, many weeds are beneficial and can play a big role in helping the garden flourish. Weeds can help attract wildlife, supporting the ecosystem and pollinators, which are crucial for plant reproduction.
Serving as living mulch, they can also help protect and nourish the soil and conserve water by retaining moisture. While embracing weeds can be beneficial for the garden, it’s important to strike a balance to prevent them from overpowering your other plants.
Weeds spread like wildfire, so it’s still necessary to manage them - make sure to keep the weeds confined to one area in the garden and deadhead the flower heads before they go to seed. Chris Bonnett, the founder of GardeningExpress.co.uk said: “Gardeners who utilise the hidden talents of weeds can significantly improve their outdoor spaces.
“Instead of getting consumed with tearing weeds out of your lawn, consider leaving them alone and let nature reclaim its place in your garden. Embracing weeds can help support biodiversity, enhance the soil and conserve water.
“Just keep in mind that weeds can quickly overgrow, so it’s important to not let them take over the garden. It’s better to allocate a certain area for them so they’re not competing with your plants for nutrients, water, and sunlight.“
Here are five reasons why you should let weeds grow from the team at GardeningExpress.co.uk:
Attract wildlife
Weeds can attract a variety of insects, birds and other wildlife into your garden, which contributes to a balanced environment where pollinators can thrive. Pollinators are vital to the production of healthy plants and crops.
Improve soil
Improve the soil by applying decomposed weeds to it. You can let the weeds rot down in a bucket of water and then pour the contents onto your compost bin.
Retain moisture
Serving as living mulch, weeds can reduce water evaporation by covering the soil surface. Weeds assist in water conservation by holding onto moisture, which reduces the need for frequent watering.
Indicators of soil health
When soil is very acidic or nutrient-deficient certain weeds are more prone to grow. Observing the types of weeds that grow in your garden can provide valuable insights into the soil's needs.
Prevent erosion
Weeds can prevent soil erosion from wind or water by covering bare patches on the lawn. Their strong root systems hold the soil in place and prevent valuable topsoil from being washed away.
