Do your plants ever come up in neighbor's gardens?

I have realized that I have a love of plants that "naturalize" - which means that almost everything I plant has the potential to pop up in my neighbors' gardens! One of them has a landscaping company do everything, so I'm not too worried about that, but the other (very lovely) neighbor is also a gardener and has expressed a bit of concern over my love for plants that reseed like crazy...

Both she and another gardener down the street have also expressed mild dismay at my Mexican Primrose, saying "if one person on the block has Mexican Primrose, everyone has it!"

And now I'm growing a Black Eyed Susan Vine up one trellis and a Morning Glory up another...

Am I asking for trouble?? Have any of you cottage gardeners had any trouble with neighbors?

Here are a few of my favorite pics so far.

Your garden is absolutely beautiful by the way, I would be happy to have your plants blow over to my garden! I have ended up with hollyhocks in the very front of my front garden facing the street(from neighbor across the street). Was grumpy at first but at least it isn't like all the other neighbors who never have their yards sprayed and just share their weeds! I haven't noticed any of my plants going anywhere yet but I'm sure I will repay the favor someday.

I think anyone worried about what's coming up in their yard should be doing some weeding anyway. However, I do find it ethically responsible to make sure you don't plant anything that can become invasive thus destroying whatever nearby natural habitats may still exist.

Thank you, Mclowdis! My garden is still in the beginning stages and still has lots of dirt showing, but if I take pictures at JUST the right angle... ;-)

I had a Johnny Jump-Up that, true to it's name, jumped from one side of my home over to the other...so I think I might end up sharing those around a bit whether I like it or not.

That's a great point, Lupine! With the Morning Glories I did look them up on an invasive plant list for our area, and they didn't appear, so that's good. And I haven't planted bamboo or English Ivy, despite the fact that I REALLY wish I could have them...

I tell ya, if it spreads, it has a special place in my heart. But I do want to be a good neighbor...

This message was edited Jun 23, 2014 1:24 PM

Wifeygirl: Seeing that you're in Calif., if you want those dark blue morning glories, be prepared to have them come up everywhere...for the next 5 lifetimes. You'll regret it.
Ditto for any runner bamboo. Once it takes hold you have it for life.

Back in the '80's I planted Mexican primrose and Verbena bonariensis. The first year they were fine...from then afterward, not so much. Both have spread like wildfire and are growing in the alleys around my place and even out the top of a huge palm tree. I finally got rid of them in my garden but they reseeded everywhere it seems.

A few others to "grow with caution" are Feverfew, Jupiters Beard, Borage, Alyssum, and "some" of the Campanulas. Don't get me wrong, I do like all of these but they CAN become "pests" if they end up in a neighbors garden.

OHhhhhhhhh I LOVE Campanulas!

Ya, you're asking for trouble with Black Eyed Susan and Morning Glory. Sorry.

Hey Jasper! The morning glories are volunteers from a little patch of plants donated to me from a friend. They are dark purple, but since I didn't plant them myself, I don't know the variety.

Psych, just wanted to confirm, you're saying the Black Eyed Susan vine is a problem? Not Black Eyed Susans the normal flower? I don't know why I'm asking exactly...I have them both! Doesn't it just figure that I have Verbena, Feverfew, Alyssum, Johnny Jumpups, and Mexican Primrose in my garden as well?

I have been populating my garden by going around the neighborhood and asking people for plants that have clearly reseeded (so that they wouldn't be hurt by me taking some). It looks like that practice might come back to haunt me...

P.S. Yesterday I discovered a huge patch of evil sticker weeds in my garden. Doh! You can even see them in this Black Eyed Susan picture - they had grown underneath a low-growing legitimate plant and gotten nice and established. The weed's foliage even looks so lush and green! Who knew it hid such pure evil underneath. I'm a fairly new gardener here, so I didn't recognize it. Boo.


This message was edited Jul 3, 2014 6:42 AM

I meant the regular plant, I have no experience with the vine. The Black Eyed Susans will attempt to take over your garden (if not the WORLD! LOL)

I love the Mexican primrose and have had no trouble with it being "invasive" .

Uh-oh. I had no idea that Black Eyed Susans were that way. But doesn't it just figure? I love them, so they MUST be semi-invasive!

Sadly, the Black Eyed Susans ARE on the side of my gardening neighbor. Oh, and I've also got Love Lies Bleeding over there. Sure enough, it is apparently "sometimes" semi-invasive.

What is it with me???

AW Wifely, you just crave color and easy care plus cheaply available. ALL forerunners to acquiring some sometimes-semi-invasive plants!! I'd say you fit nicely into the same category as me.

Haha, thanks! I guess the Cottage Gardening forum is the right place to find a few people who won't judge me too harshly... =)

I think I might have to offer my weeding services to my neighbor, though! =)

Wouldn't hurt, your weeding service would mediate any hard feelings your interlopers may have caused.

I just got done stripping bare more earth. I need to get the whole front yard grass OUT including all the buried stepping stones. Those stepping stones were poured in place so they are not smooth and even on the underside and HEAVY!!! They are not fun to try and reuse somewhere else, trying to get them level and stable.

I'm praying I can have a whole new gravel parking area instead of a front yard before the end of the summer. With a 1/3 of an acre I still have MORE than enough grass!!

I planted mornada and it is going over to my neighbors yard, also the Japanese Ameone .I love those plants but never knew they were so invasive. I read that you must cut off the spent flowers of the Ameone because they self seed , they are so many plant coming up in my yard from the past years but I am deadheading them this year for sure.My neighbors Siberian Iris is coming up in my yard , I guess it's even exchange. Lol . They were beautiful flowers this last spring but I pull them all out and I know they will come over again next spring.

Ya, I got a big Oriental red poppy from my neighbor when I lived in Boise. It was a welcome addition!

Haha I guess you've got a plant exchange program going!

Today I sat with my gardening neighbor and apologized in advance for the Black Eyed Susans. She exclaimed that she loves them, and will be happy if they come and visit!

I think you're right, offering to pull anything that she tells me she doesn't like is working as an olive branch.

My MIL is going to give me some of those red poppies! I'm so happy!

This message was edited Jul 6, 2014 5:37 PM

Well... I decided I could not live without an island of flowers in the huge area that will all be gravel. That means finding the irrigation and tapping into it. Digging trenches like crazy. It feels like I will never get this project done.

#1 picture is later in the summer but shows a close up of the front of the house. #2 shows the work in progress, I've managed to get a lot more grass dug up since then. I swear, it feels like I will never finish.