The Battle

This past weekend I waged a war. The enemy in this particular war was a gal named Black Eyed Susan. (Rudbekia for all you proper Latin folk out there). The enemy is so prolific and mighty that she springs up everywhere and takes over territories that don't belong to her.

Reinforcements have arrived in the war against Black Eyed Susan.

I planted Black Eyed Susan on purpose a long time ago. I love the vibrant yellow with the dark centre. I love the late August colour it provides, often teamed up with purple blossoms on other plants like asters. But enough is enough. And this was just one bed. Trust me, they are in many places. As they die back in the fall, their seed heads drop over and the hundreds of black elongated seeds fall and spread to germinate and turn into more wonderful blankets of yellow. But my gardens are just WAY TOO YELLOW!! 

As recently as last year, when I would lift and divide perennials because they were overgrown, or I wanted to change locations, I would feel obligated to save them. I would pot them up in left over plastic pots from previous plant purchases. I would bag them in plastic shopping bags. I would take them to work and offer them for free. They got planted in a garden outside my workplace. Friends and family have taken them over the years. I've replanted them in other beds. I even had a "nursery" bed in part of my vegetable garden where I would separate irises or daylilies or anything else that I felt deserved to live on. 

Not this year. I gleefully and without guilt tossed hundreds of these invaders into the wheelbarrow (along with other weeds and a devil of a sedum that I should never have put in) and drove it down the "lane" to dump onto the fallow land to the south of us. Yes, they will likely take root there, some of them, but they will be quaint and lovely there, away from my other plants.

Here is what my bed looks like now.

That pedestal normally has a sundial on it, but it fell off during our winter. It will need to be reattached.

My next battle may be waged this coming weekend. The enemy? A gal called Lily. Lily of the Valley that is!