Neither use nor ornament!

[mothhawk]

Lily of the valley - so much leaf for such a diminutive flower that you have to get down on your hands and knees to smell, and it spreads like ground elder - runners everywhere. I'm constantly pulling them out of other plants. For a couple of weeks scent in spring, not worth it, I should dig them out but my Mum loves them.

I can understand why men often grow more beautiful gardens then women. They don't get sentimentally attached to plants, and are happy to rip out anything that doesn't fit. I have lots of plants that were gifts or grown from cuttings or raised from (filched) seed that I should out, but can't bear to uproot.

[mothhawk]

Oh, and I learned the same phrase from MY mum, VC

[JanieB]

I agree with you Mothawk. I've got rid of a lot off stuff from my garden and the only reason i'm keeping the rose is because it's rare and needs to be kept to keep the variety in existance as I don't know what has happened to any others in the area.

[mothhawk]

I have 5 seedling holly plants that I started from berries 2 years ago, just because I thought it would be fun to see if I could. I have nowhere to put them

I also have what I guess is now a bonsai oak tree, it's 3 feet tall, must be at least six years old, it's still in a 6" pot and I grew it from an acorn, as above. I keep promising myself when I find a suitable spot I'll "release" it into the wild, but I would hate it to be strimmed off by a careless hedgecutter after I've nurtured it for so long.

Plants are a bit like pets, aren't they?

[veggiechicken]

Oh, and I learned the same phrase from MY mum, VC

I can see my Mum, hands on hips, saying " I don't know what he sees in her, she's neither use nor ornament"

[mothhawk]

I can see my Mum, hands on hips, saying " I don't know what he sees in her, she's neither use nor ornament"

Yes, always a phrase applied to people, not objects (or plants)

[1Bee]

The patio rose in the back yard blooms in one flush, is quite pretty, but has NO SCENT. A rose without scent is neither use nor ornament to me...

My entire front garden. Used to be a 'cottage garden' type plot, but years of neglect after we got the plot means it's overrun with couch grass, and had a big hole dug in it in the middle of Storm Desmond. I want to replant it as a herb and 'physic' garden, but have no idea where I'll find the time...

[Snoop Puss]

We have a Brown Turkey fig tree in the back garden that is a proper turkey because it's never even attempted to produce a fig. It has to go.

Give it the chop. Cut off everything that looks even vaguely extraneous. If that doesn't do it, chop through the roots with a spade. I can vouch for both strategies working. Though the severe hair cut will leave it looking a bit ugly.

Of the three pear trees we have, two are neither use nor ornament. But the fact that they are still alive gives them novelty value!

[veggiechicken]

But the fact that they are still alive gives them novelty value!

Trying to imagine my Mum saying "Don't know what he sees in her - she's neither use nor ornament but she does have novelty value"
She may well have thought that

[Birdie Wife]

Ah, now. I used to dislike crocosmia. But when I got married a few years back in late September, it was one of the few flowers still in bloom. As I wanted to keep everything as local as possible, I gathered lots of it to decorate the church, and it looked stunning with the autumn glow of light coming through the church windows. As a result I can't hate it any more

Neither use nor ornament? Eye of the beholder