Flower or weed?

[ideasguy]

My wife regularly makes up a posy for our kitchen and kitchen table.
Yesterday and today, the combination is a little bunch of Forget-me-not (Myosotis sylvatica) pulled by my grandson and a few little sprays from Spiraea × arguta which is in full glory in the garden right now.

They work well together in a vase    and look fresh today (unlike a little piece of Aubrieta which I added to the posy last night).
They both have very tiny flowers, but in profusion, and their individual flowers are very similar in size.

On close inspection, the forget-me-not flowers has it for sheer beauty. Its a delicate blue, with a lovely little yellow centre. Some of the little flowers are pink with yellow centre.

In your book, is it a flower or a weed?
In the garden they are (in height) about 20cms and 120cms respectively but I'm thinking that the forget-me-not would be perfect planted (or in my case allowed to self seed) around the perimeter of the Spirea.

Heres a challenge to our camera fanatics. How about a nice photo of both?

[Palustris]

I think Forget me nots are an absolute pain in the neck. They have never been allowed to seed here, but I still pull of billions of them. they choke everything they grow near.

[Eric Hardy]

We let them seed and pull them out where we don't want them but leave a few drifts. I think they are a pretty plant in the right place (and that includes some parts of the garden). I suppose it depends on what sort of gardener you are. The other Eric, I see, finds them a pain in the neck  They do keep other weeds down.

ERic H

[ideasguy]

Looks like you either love them or hate them!
RE:

We let them seed and pull them out where we don't want them but leave a few drifts

I dont have a choice about the self seeding and like you Eric (H  ) I always leave a few drifts.
They are pretty much perpetual here. Ive always managed to pull the ones that are likely to choke any of my plants. They are very easy to remove, and I hadnt thought of it before but yes, they are a good weed suppressor. When you pull them up theres usually a nice clean patch of soil!
Ive read they are nice with tulips. Oddly, in the parts of the garden where I have tulips, the forget-me-nots dont appear!

Incidentally, that little posy is still going, with no sign of going limp! Ive given them a shake and some petals are falling of the Spirea, but the forget-me-nots are holding tight 

[Eric Hardy]

 

                                            But what a wonderful weed !!                                          

    

[ideasguy]

Its showing "This photo is currently unavailable" to me Eric.

[Eric Hardy]

That is strange, it is OK on my screen. I have copied and pasted the URL again. Is that OK now? I can see it.

Eric H

[ideasguy]

Yes, that is now showing Eric. Yes, a wonderful weed.

[Eric Hardy]

George has pointed out to me a very interesting fact which you can see if you compare the two photographs below.

 I took Forget-me-not "A" because I noticed that it was a more even and intense colour than its neighbours. What I hadn't noticed was that it only has five radiating white marks and if you compare it with "Forget-me-not "B" they all have 10 radiating white marks.


Forget-me-not "A"


Forget-me-not "B"

I have also noticed that the blue of "A" has a very slight hint of red in it. One or two forget-me-nots nearby are actually pink.

Eric H

[ideasguy]

Thanks for posting the additional photo Eric.
I had a close look at the posy last night. The second set of 5 radial white markings are up the centre of the petals, and I'm wondering if that marking develops as the flowers age?

They do appear to be quite variable, some 5, some 10.
As for colour, in the past Ive noticed plants which were entirely pink in my "collection" (tee hee) at least from a casual observation, not close scrutiny.

Arent flowers truly fascinating 

[Eric Hardy]

Our lovely blue weeds are now encroaching on space needed by more legitimate plants so yesterday I did a serious cull to give the other plants more room. I did think they looked rather nice with this tulip though.



Eric H

[Eric Hardy]

Another "flower or weed?" in our garden, wild garlic. Very useful in the kitchen though.



Eric H

[Eric Hardy]

Yesterday we took some friends to Chenies Manor to show them the tulips. I can definitely say that at Chenies they don't regard forget-me-not as a weed.





Eric H

[3fren]

Dear All,

You guys are so fortunate to have all the flowers (cultured and wild)  in the Spring !

Weeds or no weeds, everyone has a  right on this earth.
Individually, each and every has a purpose and if we find
it's  purpose, we will look at it with a different light and appreciation.

Remembering a verse  :
 
Nature passes us by, and
at times, lends us its color

Sorry, guys I love all plants and trees, and of course flowers, ( wild flowers are better - a sense of
surprise -  which we do not have any more here).  Our vegetation are controlled and cultured, sad :-(

Discovery of an unexpected blooms alway drives up my adrenaline ! :-)