The All Seasons Gardener has to admit that hers is impatience. That’s why, in this picture, a clump of violets has been ‘invaded’. The invaders are muscari, also known as grape hyacinth and while they look very pretty, we’re trying to get rid of them.

Why?

Well apart from the fact that they’re invasive, they are not a native plant, unlike the bluebell, and while the bluebell supports quite a range of native insects, the grape hyacinth supports none. It’s also true that the native bluebell is at risk of dying out, through hybridisation with the Dutch species and because people nick them from the wild, either by picking them so they don’t set seed or – even worse – by digging them up and flogging them to gardeners in pots, so growing native ones is important for all kinds of reasons. Bluebells are invasive too, mind you …

So why did we have them in the first place?

Good question. Because, when we moved in here, I wanted lots of spring colour and the grape hyacinth was a cheap and cheerful bulb and I had no idea how fast it would spread! The net result is that every spring I am out in the garden on my hands and knees with one of these weeders digging out all the little grape hyacinths from their hiding places. There are many such plants; Cape Gooseberry is another that ran rampant in my garden, and I’m sure you’ve had such experiences of your own – so why not share them with us?

And the moral is?

Be very careful what you plant, because you will have to reap what you sow!

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