It has been an epic year for fruit. My strawberry patch which had been mediocre at best until this season flourished in those extremely sunny spring days. Not only did we pick more fruit, but the strawberries were larger and sweeter than those of previous years. And even when the fruit had dwindled, the runners the new plants emerging from the parent plant just kept coming.
I'm six months pregnant and horribly overwhelmed, so I've enlisted the help of a local gardener to tackle the more pernicious intruders (such as green alkanet, which leaves my ankles feeling bitten whenever I hang out the washing, and some of the many robinia saplings that have appeared from the neighbour's great big, beautiful tree) while leaving the good stuff behind. Then, in the patches that open up, I'll be sowing green manure.
As a master gardener, I've spent decades digging in the dirt and have made my fair share of mistakes doing it. But I've also learned a lot, including which plants I'll never add to my yard again. Even as someone with tons of experience, there are some plants that are just more trouble than they're worth, and I'm here to save you from the headaches I've had along the way. Here are the four plants that are permanently banned from my yard - and why you should consider skipping them, too.