Weeds are a nightmare for gardeners.
Because it is often considered an eyesore.
Weeds also grow quickly, if when cleaning the garden they do not rush up to the roots.
They find their way into our gardens, driveways, and walkways, but could weeds become much more important than we realize?
At Open Country, Helen Marks follows writer and broadcaster Jane Perrone on a sidewalk safari in search of weeds and plants tucked into the crevices of our urban areas.
Jane Perrone, plant and gardening journalist, goes on a tour of her home in Bedfordshire to chase wild plants and flowers peeking through the crevices of our pavement with a bag of chalk in tow.
She followed in the footsteps of the botanist, Sophie Leguil, to write a name next to the weeds she found in the hope that others passing by would see neglected flora.
After discovering her favorite street plant, Pellitory-of-the-Wall, the Red Admiral’s butterfly food plant, she also saw some common Poppies and Sow Thistles.
Making his first chalk marking, which he did of course with permission from the board to do so, he wanted others to share his enthusiasm: “Hopefully someone will be curious enough to have Google about it and find out what Pellitory-of-The-Wall is. is. “
They are often trampled on, but the plants growing on our sidewalks are important and cared for.
Weeds have a role in ecology.
They act like insects, urban biodiversity, they may be able to catch some pollution, they produce oxygen, they can help us better understand our local environment.
Pioneering roads since January 1, 2017, France banned pesticides in public spaces (other than sports fields and cemeteries) and is now embracing wildflowers and their plants, even encouraging residents to sow seeds in crevices in sidewalks and walls.
Sophie explains, “I wanted to convey the message that maybe the plant is more than just a weed.
They have a role in ecology, they have a role for insects, urban biodiversity, they may be able to catch some pollution, they produce oxygen, they can help us better understand our local environment. “
