Neither use nor ornament!

**WPG** · 28-10-2017, 12:02 AM

I have a very old rambler rose in the middle of a flowerbed which is a 'neither'. It can't flower without rambling first, but I can't let it ramble because it gets so straggly and thorny. It's too old to transplant, so instead of pruning it every few months I really should just get rid of it.

Another 'neither' in my garden is a flowering fern plant Incarvillea delavayi - after producing lovely pink flowers a few years ago, it hasn't flowered since. I keep giving it the benefit of the doubt, but it's taking up space with no gain.

**Nicos** · 28-10-2017, 07:05 AM

Yep!
My peach tree

The only time it looks interesting is when it's covered with leaf curl

**Nicos** · 28-10-2017, 07:05 AM

Nice thread by the way

**Greenleaves** · 28-10-2017, 07:53 AM

My sprouts this year are 'neither' but part of them will end up on the compost heap

**Small pumpkin** · 28-10-2017, 08:11 AM

When I read the title of the thread I thought you were discussing my new work colleague

Plants...... yes I have several that are neither. But happy in the knowledge that I didn't buy them or put them there

. Luckily most are in the front garden and only one in the veggie garden.

**Thelma Sanders** · 28-10-2017, 08:47 AM

Yes, I have an old thorny gallica (I think) rose against the side fence, it has about 3 flowers a year - if I'm lucky and they're nowt to write home about.
I remember planting it and the flower pictures in the catalogue were so very tempting, that I didn't mind that it would only flower once a year

The year before last I cut it down to about 10inches and gave it some manure - its last chance. It grew, and grew, but still very few flowers - so this winter it has to come out!

**Deano's "Diggin It"** · 28-10-2017, 09:19 AM

At the very bottom right hand corner of my plot, behind the Asparagus bed, I tried to grow a climbing rose with the hope it would spread across the fence and cover it.That died! Then an hunysuckle, that popped it's clogs so tried a clematis, nope! That keeled over and for some reason nothing would grow in that spot.

Whilst walking around work one day kicking my heels, I found a pot with a "Humulus Lupulus" common hop, Oh! They climb I thought!

Well this thing when in season grows at a rate of 2 to 3 inch a day and covers the fence alright!

Every year at the end of the season I have to hack it back to ground level and dis-tangle it from the fence and bin it and every year I tell myself it will have to go, but then talk myself out of it once it starts growing again because it has lovely purple flowers and the weird shape shape seed heads (The hops themselves) look brilliant bobbing about in the breeze!

**burnie** · 28-10-2017, 09:54 AM

SWMBO has on occasion described me in this manner!!!

**DannyK** · 28-10-2017, 10:31 AM

Three year old Eleagnus Umbellata.
Flowers-plenty but insignificant
Promised scent-none
Promised berries-none
Boring!!!!

**Jungle Jane** · 28-10-2017, 12:46 PM

My whole front lawn is neither,it used to be flat & perfect but a burst pipe in the road pushed it up a bit at the bottom so there's a bump & it's really boring too just a rectangle of grass. I need to improve it with some evergreens & bulbs one day,but at the moment it's easy maintenance of mowing & quite tidy looking,I could turn it into a mess?

**Kirk** · 28-10-2017, 01:47 PM

Originally posted by veggiechicken View Post

My Mum used to say "Its neither use nor ornament" and I didn't really understand it then but today, as I mooched around the garden, the saying popped into my mind. I started looking critically at some of the plants and assessing them as "Use", "Ornament" or neither.
Some of the "Neithers" were a small striped, invasive grass, montbretia/crocosmia (ornamental in small clumps only); an almost flowerless honeysuckle, an unpleasant smelling mint............
I really should get rid of these squatters and replace them with something that is useful or ornamental.

Do you have plants that are "neither use nor ornament"?

That is easy, this year literally everything except a single squash ended up as "neither use nor ornament". The "spring onions" (never more then the thickness of a single fine blade of grass) never even made it to compost, they seemed to compost themselves away over a period of about 2 weeks.

The plan for next year is one of give whatever I fancy a try and if anything comes from it/them then great, but expectations are low.

Big problem will be if the pot grown items fare better then the veg bed grown ones. May then need to decide if I consider container growing for the majority of things.

Better add that the lime was productive, any idea what I can squeeze lime juice over? Usually slice a papaya in half and remove seeds but getting fed up of papaya. And have about another 10-12 limes to pick/use.

**Mr Bones** · 28-10-2017, 01:53 PM

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.

**burnie** · 28-10-2017, 04:23 PM

Originally posted by Mr Bones View Post

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.

Will it go in a pot, my late Aunt found getting the roots pot bound made an infertile Fig produce well.

**JanieB** · 28-10-2017, 06:23 PM

I have a rose that is no use but is ornamental for 3 weeks in June. After much research I found out that it is a rare local rose. It is currently living in my pond liner. It used to live right in the middle of the garden and I'm reluctant to get shot of it because of it's rarity. It will find another home in the garden where its short flowering won't be so obvious.

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