They say a weed is just a plant growing in the wrong place. Whilst I would argue there are some exceptions to this, I do think it perfectly describes the Speedwell that grows in one part of our garden.

I quite like it in some ways, light green leaves, pretty blue and white flowers and terrific at ground cover. The problem is it insists on growing in 2 of my vegetable beds where it is not welcome.

A couple of years ago it occurred to me that Speedwell might be exactly what I needed to fill the ‘no mans land’ between the grass in the field and the hedge. Not a huge area, perhaps about 9″ wide running the length of the field, it is neither one thing nor the other, and I’ve never quite got to grips with it.

It needed something that was good ground cover, half decent to look at, and tough as old boots. It seemed to me that Speedwell fitted the bill perfectly.

So I began a programme of repatriation. Each time I weeded Speedwell out of the vegetable beds, I replanted it immediately in the soil by the hedge. The idea was, if I got enough ‘clumps’ of it started, then it’s natural propensity to spread, would mean it would eventually join together to make the bare soil less ugly.

It never occurred to me for one moment that it wouldn’t grow. Imagine my surprise when every single transplanted bit died. It was still growing and spreading like fun in the vegetable beds, which are only a few feet away, but refused point blank to grow in the soil between the grass and hedge.

So, two or three years down the line I still have my bare no mans land. Speedwell clearly has a mind of it’s own.