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Valerian, Centranthus ruber, is a pretty plant that produces bright pink-red, fragrant flowers from late-spring to late-summer, but it also produces masses of seed that germinates all over the garden. Butterflies love it, so if you want to encourage

plant can produce 20,000 seeds in its short lifetime. Fat hen is a weed that will quickly spread and colonise any open ground, competing with your other plants for nutrients.Hand weed or hoe out seedlings as they appear, or smother them with a good layer

-white roots of ground elder. Regular cutting of the foliage, just below ground level with a hoe will gradually weaken the plant, but this needs to be done every 7-10 days, as soon as regrowth appears. Alternatively, fork through the soil every 10 to 14 days

. 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

Jekka McVicar's 10 herbs for wildlifeJekka McVicar's organic herb garden achieved a gold medal at the Chelsea Flower Show 2009. We caught up with her at the show to discover her top 10 herbs for attracting wildlife.Herbs have been used for culinary