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Left unchecked, hairy bitter cress can quickly spread to infest the whole garden. This weed can complete its lifecycle in three to four weeks to disperse thousands of seeds, all of which can germinate to release their own seeds in quick succession

, and these are followed by light-green shoots up to 60cm in height. The plant spreads among cultivated plants, making for a messy appearance and competing for water and nutrients.A deep-rooted, herbaceous weed, with tough, light-brown or green shoots that resemble pine

. It spreads by sprouting from thick, woody rhizomes, and can grow 1.2m in one season. Winter is the only time of year that offers a reprieve, but for the rest of the year it's a plant that needs tough handling as soon as it appears. This weed is especially

Vinca major or periwinkle is a pretty, low-growing plant often with pale blue flowers that is used as a ground cover plant because of its mat-forming properties. However, it can be very invasive, and will rapidly spread around the garden

Creeping thistle, Cirsium arvense, is a pernicious weed that will quickly take over your garden unless kept in check. Winter is the only time of year that offers a reprieve, but for the rest of the year the best way to tackle it is to dig it out

Clover, most commonly Trifolium repens, is a perennial weed with shamrock-like leaves and fragrant white flowers. It colonises gardens and lawns using runners that fix into the ground, and competes with other plants for space to grow. Once it

tricky weed to eliminate from the garden, as it's difficult to remove the whole plant from the ground. It's best to get rid of it when it's young, before it's had time to spread. Creeping buttercup is easily recognisable by its glossy yellow flowers

or lawn, although it's particularly prevalent in the crevices of stone walls and in damp conditions. A slow-growing weed with tiny flowers and leaves. Its stems root as they spread, forming a thick mat that leaves little space for other plants to grow

Self-heal (Prunella vulgaris) is a tenacious perennial weed that loves lawns and will stick close to the ground in order to survive even the closest mowing - it will even flower on 3cm-high flower spikes to ensure survival of its species. It spreads

Speedwell (Veronica spp) is an annual weed that spreads through lawns and borders, and has attractive tiny blue flowers. It spreads by seed in spring and autumn to form plants with strong tap roots. Speedwell appears in lawns as individual plants