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Weeds I Love and Nurture in My Organic Garden 2
- Samantha
- Jun 4
- 3 min read
Updated: Oct 16
Welcome back to my garden! Today, I'm excited to share round two of the weeds I love and nurture in my organic garden. I truly enjoy wild gardening and keeping local plants that pollinators adore. When common weeds grow in nourishing soil, many of them turn out to be beautiful.
The Beauty of Weeds
It's common to see weeds in unwanted areas, often in neglected soil. They can look laggy and deficient there. However, I believe that every plant deserves a chance to shine. I decide whether or not to keep a plant in my garden after it has had a chance to show its best side!
I believe a variety of growth, both wild and planted, encourages a diverse environment for pollinators, insects, and soil microbes. These microscopic organisms play a vital role in maintaining healthy soil.
So, let's dive into some of my favorite weeds and wildflowers!
Forget-Me-Not
This little light blue/white wildflower is an annual that excels at reseeding itself. I love how it adds a soft touch to my garden.
Stinging Nettle
One of my favorite herbs, stinging nettle, is often found along trails. I keep a little patch tied off to prevent accidental stings. This hearty plant can grow over six feet tall and boasts a beautiful dark green color. It's excellent for making nourishing tea, oil, or tincture.
Black Raspberry
As summer approaches, black raspberry is one of the first berries to ripen. It grows wild along the Bruce Trail, and the sweet, juicy berries are abundant on the vines. With this patch, I snack daily for about two weeks in June, make jam, and still have enough to freeze!
Common Mallow
I adore mallow! It creeps and grows fairly tall, reaching about four feet. It leans nicely against gates and has lily pad-like leaves and slightly pink flowers.
Wild Violet
Wild violets come in white or purple flowers, both of which are beautiful! They thrive in partly shaded, cooler, and slightly damper areas. Although they can grow in full sun, their flowers aren't as vibrant.
Greater Celandine
This beautifully tall flower stands out with its bright yellow blooms. It's one of the earliest to bloom in spring, attracting many pollinators. I keep it around as long as it looks healthy and is blooming. However, once the flowering stage is over, I tend to pull it out since the leaves become dull and the seeding stage isn't pretty.
Garlic Mustard
Caution! This plant is invasive! I only keep garlic mustard long enough to enjoy a couple of stir-fries. Once it flowers, I pull it out because it doesn't look too pretty afterward.
Cleavers
Cleavers are fascinating because their vines are sticky—not sap sticky, but a tacky feeling. We harvest cleavers for our product line, as it's an excellent herb for tinctures and teas. The photo above shows it before the flowering stage, where it grows a cute little white flower.
Phlox
Phlox is a tall wildflower that blooms along the Bruce Trail from spring to fall. It comes in various colors, including white, pink, and purple. You can also find it as a creeping garden perennial.
Grass Lily
Blooming in spring, the grass lily comes and goes on my property. I don't think it reseeds well unless it has a large patch. It has a pretty white flower and can grow right through grass, but it often gets mowed. I've dug it out and placed it in my garden, where it needs full sun to bloom.
Milkweed
Milkweed stands tall and will be included in my summer blog when it blooms. It's a vital plant for many pollinators.
Wood Sorrel
I mentioned wood sorrel in my previous "weeds I keep" blog post. Be sure to check that one out!
I hope you enjoyed this glimpse into my garden. Each weed and wildflower plays a role in creating a vibrant ecosystem. What weeds do you love in your garden?
-Samantha
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