Shotweed is rampant in my garden, in fact it is everywhere on the property. You should see it now - nice and green with the white blooms already starting to show. I pulled some yesterday and today but not nearly enough.

Also have the Purple Deadnettle. When I pull it sometimes I have to be careful because the roots of nearby plants come up too with the soil being so wet.

Yeah, I have tons of that Shotweed (Shepherd's Purse). It is really spreading through the property. Started in the driveway three years ago, and is now on the northside of the house. Guess we 'walked" the seeds over there. Dang it!

I pulled lots of it today too. And like you said...not near enough.

I'm going back out there as soon as I'm done reading the GW forums. It's really nice and sunny out this morning, up to 56 already. I know it's early and you shouldn't walk in the wet garden, but I think pulling Shotweed is allowed. "Shepherd's Purse", I like the name tho.

Ha! In our house, Shepherd's purse is a vegetable! Yummy with chickweed and dandelion greens, a few violet flowers in a salad!!

GGG,
You are so right!
I've tasted Chickweed. It tastes just like lettuce. (they are my hens favorite greens, followed by Lamb's Quarters & Henbit early in the spring when they are juicy and tender. My rabbit loved Lamb's Quarters too and he lived an unnaturally long life). Baby Lamb's Quarters leaves & Dandelion greens are very good to eat, and the flowers of Dandelions taste like honey.

Most weeds are very good to eat. They are actually HERBS, loaded with vitamins and minerals surpassing what is found in most cultivated vegetables. Burdock Tea and Stinging nettle Tea, for instance, are loaded with Iron - they make great tonics for cleansing the liver of impurities. The proverbial "Spring Tonic".

Broadleaf Weeds are also great at pumping nutrients down deep in the soils up to the surface soils so flowers and veggies can more easily access them.

But 3 acres of Broadleaf weeds (herbs) is more than I can eat or drink in a lifetime!

Thanks for bringing this up.
~Annie

I picked three 5gl.bucketfuls of Shotweed awhile ago and finally called it quits. Whew. First real work of the season - I just know my back and legs are going to be hurtin' tomorrow. And I have lots more of those darn things to get out of the rest of the borders and in between the stones in the courtyard.

Lots of moss this Spring too. I like it in the sunken gardens but not covering the flat stones where I routinely walk. I tried to concentrate on the Shotweed and not do any cutting back of old flower stalks and such right now so as not to get overwhelmed. That's for another day. Schoolhouse is getting old. ;)

I can't find the weed I was looking for...it has little yellow flowers and small leaves, skinny stems and grows kind of curved...not straight up. It will grow sideways, out from underneath other plants and stands about 2' tall. The yellow flowers bring in a ton of ladybugs and a few weeds in the back of the cottage garden actually look nice. Great for the roses, too...those ladybugs take care of the aphids, within a day or so! :)

lavender_lass,

I wonder if that weed is Wild Yellow Mustard?

I put a link below where there is a great photo of it.
It grows throughout the Western States, and other places too, I am sure.

~Annie

Here is a link that might be useful: wild yellow mustard

I actually like wild yellow mustard too. Normally let it grow, it especially grows down in the orchard.

If you let it grow in the vicinity of your Cole crops, it is supposed to lure the white cabbage moths away from your cabbages and broccoli to the mustard plants. The caterpillars eat the mustard plant leaves and leave your Cole crops alone...or at least don't infect them as much.

Don't plant Mustard too close, however, or you will end up just luring the moths to your veggies. And make sure that you get the mustard in the ground and growing before you set out the Cole crops. Fall sowing of mustard works best. (Companion Planting for Insect Control)

Wild Mustard is indeed very pretty and great for preventing erosion - it grows fast and thick and holds to soil from washing. Out west, it is sown after forest fires to stop the mountain slopes from eroding.

The young leaves of Mustard are delicious when steamed or boiled in a pot with ham bits or when you add cooked bacon crumpled up in it. Be sure to bake a pan of cornbread to go with it. Yummy. They are packed full of vitamins and minerals.

~Annie

I found it! The first picture is called common fiddleneck...and I think that little red spot, might be a ladybug :)
{{gwi:644024}}From Lavender's Garden

And, the 'tarweed fiddleneck' in this picture was taken, in Washington state. {{gwi:648743}}From Lavender's Garden

I don't recognize that weed in my garden, but I'm sure it's there.

Bindweed-ugh. Came up from my neighbor's side of his new fence and I saw the flowers and thought, "How pretty!" until someone here told me what it was. Here I thought we had morning glories coming up unexpectedly. Oh well. Thanks for the links Annie. I have added it to my favorites!

I'm still pulling weeds...
Oh, my aching back!

Great link! I 'bookmarked' it.

Thanks!

Anicee

great - now I can name my enemy! Funny that after all these years of gardening I didn't know their names. (although I certainly recognized them.)