Earlier this year, as thousands were rushing to finalise their property transactions before the end of the stamp duty holiday, several property experts warned people to "be honest" about Japanese knotweed when selling their homes.
Good advice - but it seems that many sellers weren't listening. Property industry magazine The Negotiator reports that Japanese knotweed misrepresentation cases have increased by 25% in the past year, and this rise is apparently "due in part to buyers and sellers rushing transactions to win stamp duty holiday savings".
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As winter approaches, Japanese knotweed (Fallopia japonica) enters the dormant phase of its annual growth cycle. During this period, the clusters of cream-coloured flowers will disappear and the bamboo-like canes will die away, but don't be fooled - the plant itself lives on beneath the soil.
If you've done your research, you may be aware that Japanese knotweed rhizomes can stay in the ground for a long time, dormant but not dead. This can lead to some real headaches when attempting to buy or sell a property that was affected by knotweed in the past; the plant may no longer be visible above ground, but it's difficult to know for sure that it will never reappear.
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In the quest to build the most beautiful garden, you might find yourself making trips to your local garden centre to pick up new plants. However, there are a few plants that can become a real nuisance if you're not prepared to prune them on a regular basis. Today we're going to talk about some of the most common nuisance plants that you should avoid if you don't want a high-maintenance garden.
Introducing new plants to your garden
Adding new varieties of plants to your garden can be really exciting, but it's important you do your research first before you make a start. We all know that certain plants like dandelions and daisies are considered weeds, but they're not the only nuisance plants you should be aware of. If you're aiming to build a low-maintenance garden, these re some of the plants you should avoid...
Image Source: Wikimedia Commons under licence CC BY-SA 2.5
Climbing Plants eg. Passion Flower (Passiflora caerulea)
Passion flowers are incredibly beautiful but do have a habit of growing wild if they're not pruned regularly. This climber grows well in sunny, sheltered spots in the garden, meaning it can go undetected for a while before you notice it's become a problem. Most people grow passion flowers in a pot because they thrive when their roots are restricted. That being said, passion flowers have a tendency to climb up buildings & fences and can quickly spread into unwanted areas of the garden.
Other climbing plants that can quickly get out of hand are:
Read More: What's the difference between Japanese knotweed and bindweed?
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Japanese knotweed is a big problem in this country. Confirmed cases have increased by approximately 28% in the past five years, and it's been estimated that knotweed costs the UK somewhere in the region of £41 million each year.
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If you're looking at purchasing your own property, Japanese knotweed might be a concern - and rightly so. Japanese knotweed is an invasive species that can cause a whole host of problems with neighbours and with your new property. Sadly, few people know what Japanese knotweed looks like or how to identify it, and even if they do, it might go unnoticed when you're viewing potential properties. In this blog, we'll explore the duty of care that estate agents have when it comes to Japanese knotweed.
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Is It Japanese Knotweed?