Gardeners urged to plant these 5 flowers to stop weeds from taking over
There's nothing more frustrating than battling a weed invasion in your garden. Luckily, experts suggest planting certain flowers to deter them from your lawn.
As summer approaches, you might be spotting an array of unsightly growths appearing on your lawn. The combination of warmer weather and sunlight allows invasive plants to proliferate rapidly.
Common UK weeds include dandelion, chickweed and the dreaded prickly milk thistle, which can be notoriously difficult to eliminate.
Weeds do more than just spoil the appearance of your lawn; they can cause significant damage to neighbouring plants. This is because they drain nutrients from the soil, leaving little for the plants in your garden.
They can also harbour troublesome insects, such as aphids, caterpillars and mealybugs, reports the Mirror.
But before reaching for weed killer, Homes and Gardens suggests turning to these plants instead. Not only are they visually stunning, these perennial plants bloom year after year, saving you effort.
Black-eyed Susans
These vibrant yellow flowers feature jet black stigmas that naturally attract attention – hence their name. These unique flowers will not only add interest to your garden, but also help ward off weeds.
This is due to their tendency to grow in dense patches, leaving little space for unwanted plants to infiltrate. They're best planted in spring as they require at least six hours of sunlight daily.
Coneflowers
These charming dusky pink coneflowers hail from North America and boast remarkable resilience.
Their robust nature makes them perfect for withstanding the often erratic British climate.
Thriving in both full and partial sunlight, these flowers require watering just twice a week. Katie Sunderlage, operations manager at the Holland Group, told Home and Gardens: "Once settled into your yard, you will find coneflowers remarkably low-maintenance."
Verbenas
Proudly bearing purple blossoms throughout the summer season, Verbenas are not only beautiful but practical. They offer generous ground coverage, which helpfully thwarts weeds from flourishing.
For optimal growth, plant your Verbenas where they can bask in full or partial sun, ensuring that the soil has good drainage.
They're also quite drought-tolerant, so there's no need for concern during the occasional heatwave.
Blazing star
Living up to their fiery name with vibrant electric purple petals, Blazing stars make their striking appearance in late summer.
They're excellent at keeping weeds at bay as they naturally grow in dense clusters, and fortunately, cultivating them is relatively straightforward – all they ask for is direct sunlight.
Blue grama
This grass which is native to the American Midwest excels at weed prevention. Best suited to warmer environs, Blue grama is an ideal choice for those residing in Southern England or along the coast.
Once established, it demands very little in terms of watering.
Annual weeds in the UK generally start growing in early spring, around April. This is because soil temperatures rise, causing the weeds to begin to grow. They generally bloom in the summer before fully dying in winter.
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