we are so fortunate to have a family of hedgehogs in our garden. they are a wonderful addition for many reasons. they are as cute as can be, not at all shy and very quiet, if we overlook the fact that they eat the squash, pumpkin and cucumber seedlings we plant they are no trouble at all. in fact they eat the invasive and far less charming iberian slugs Arion vulgaris that used to be all over the garden. in fact since the year the hedgehogs arrived the slugs have been kept marvelously under control. before the slug invasion hedgehogs were rarely seen in these parts, but now they are quite common. we still put out a few pumpkin seedlings to show our appreciation for the dear creatures.
since the photo focuses on the little darling it is easy to overlook what it is standing in. Aegopodium podagraria ground elder or goutweed is the single most invasive weed ever. one solitary plant can spread to cover several square meters in a season. it is virtually impossible to get rid of. a plant will grow several flowering stems, each of which will produce over 2500 seeds. worse still if you try to dig it out, every little bit of underground shoots that you missed or cut will quickly develop into a plant that will be sending out new shoots in all directions before you know it and shortly afterward be in full flower.
all is not lost though because this most minacious of plants is edible. indeed the young leaves are quite tasty so instead of trying to get rid of them we have started to harvest the nutritious pests. at least in the spring and early summer before anything we have planted is ready to harvest, we reap these without even sowing or watering.
and you may have noticed podagra in the latin name or at least gout in the english name. long ago this most hated of all weeds was imported as medicine for gout and a number of other ailments such as rheumatism, inflammation, burns and more
now that we rarely find any slugs i was wondering if by any chance it is possible to get the beloved hedgehogs to develop a taste for our endless supply of goutweed...
speaking of natural pest control, here is a cherished ladybug. i couldn't tell you what species but i do believe it is busy munching on some pesky aphids of which there are plenty.
as for Taraxacum officinale dandelion, we long ago decided that it wasn't a weed at all. though edible we just let it be most places it decides ro grow. they are so bright and colorful and photogenic as well, especially when in seed
then there is the rosebush. i think it established itself long ago where it is. it's thorny, in the way, has almost no scent and the hips are too small to be of interest. still we let it be. the flowers are simple but nice- some last until late autumn and the bees like them. bees are not thriving here at all so we let wildflowers be everywhere that's practical. the lawn has lots of clover and other bee-friendly plants so we cut it far less often than before
i am a bit undecided regarding Lupinus sp. lupines.
they are gorgeous and require no care so in one way they are a great natural addition to the garden. but they are invasive and spread very quickly. we didn't plant these and they tend to take over habitats of many of our native wildflowers. so in 2016 it became forbidden to sell or plant lupines anywhere in norway. what to do?
ah, there's the hedgehog slipping under the shed where it lives
"wait, wait my friend. what's the hurry? i wanted to talk to you about some plants growing in the garden. have you noticed how pretty those lupines over there have become?...