Garden Bullies

A garden is like a playground; it's a beautiful sight when everyone is getting along.  But every once in awhile, someone gets a little out of hand, and then the adult needs to step in.  You know what I'm talking about:  plants that don't stay where they're planted, that push their way into others' space, that knock others down, hog all of the resources (SUN), and overpower their playmates. 


Today's biggest offender:  Filipendula, a.k.a. Queen of the Prairie.

Alone, it's a beautiful plant.  This picture, and the plants in my garden, are from Glorified Weeds.  I had some planted in the back of the sunny driveway border.  Had I looked more closely at the details of this plant before I set it in the soil, I would have discovered that it spreads by stolon and should be given either a large space, or should somehow be contained.  So I guess I got what I deserved, a beautiful plant that overshadowed everything around it and almost took over my border. 

What are stolons?  They are horizontal shoots from plants that grow just beneath the surface and produce clones of the same plant at the buds on the tip.  Strawberries and spider plants are other plants that spread from stolons.

But back to the filipendula.  I did decide to rip this out of my driveway border.  I tried to salvage some of them and planted a few in Emma's new bed behind the large boulder.  On one side of the plant is the boulder so it won't plop over on other plants, and behind it are trees, so these two "enforcers" on both sides should keep this unruly plant in line.