Gold medal for Weeds

Many gardeners may have been shocked last week when the Royal Horticultural Society 
gave a Gold Medal to a garden planted with weeds. I define weeds as wild flowers which
grow vigourously.

Among the many weeds in that garden was Ragwort, pictured above. Controversially said to be dangerous to horses
but beloved by many pollinating insects and moths. And when did you last have horses in your garden?

The medal was followed up by a newspaper article aiming to persuade us to give over much more of our gardens to wild weeds..
We should do this to help to stop the long term decline in bees, butterflies and other insects.
We have lost 98% of our wildflower haymeadows since 1945 and this has certainly had a very bad effect on our bees and insect life in general.

Not too many will be willing to replace their immaculate lawns with a wild flower meadow. But if you did you could use that mowing and edging time to sit in a garden chair with a Gin and Tonic watching the butterflies.