The Garden of Weed'n

11 runners met at Surrey Docks Farm today for a masterclass on weeds. "So what actually is a weed?" I hear you ask? Fortunately Bex was on hand to teach us.

"A weed is a wild plant in the wrong place."

We had an informative session from Bex (more detail below) where we learned about lots of different weeds - then, each armed with a laminated picture, we headed out to the farm to try to identify the different types. As well as the weeds, we learned a lot about the vegetables being grown in the allotments and even spotted a frog.

After we learned all we had to learn, we set to work in one of the gardens clearing away the weeds so the strawberries and blackcurrants could grow in peace! In no time at all, the beds were clear. Our penultimate stop was the herb garden where we picked some mint and lemon verbena for some herbal teas back in the cafe.

We were then treated to bags of goat feed and spent a good 20 minutes kidding around with the finest goats in London. This is official as in September, their very own spotty nanny, Comic, won first place for goats across all London city farms...

Fact of the day: Some think they are adorable, others think they're pests. Whatever your opinion, it's a well known (to Frances) fact that squirrels aren't quite as clever as you might think - they lose over 70% of the nuts that they bury. Over 70%!!!

Read below for more info about weeds:

There are many positive things about weeds, such as: * They often look nice, especially when they flower. * They encourage insects, particularly butterflies. * They are useful for compost as they bring up potassium, a vital component.

But unfortunately there are many negatives too: * They always grow so smother other plans and ruin patios. * They can be considered ugly - particularly when they're in the wrong place. * They reduce yields of fruit and veg - as they are competing for the same nutrients and water. * They act as a host for pests and diseases. * Invasive ones can be sneaky - such as Japanese knotweed (which is illegal to plant in the UK and is actually quite dangerous - so treat with caution).

Some top tips for dealing with weeds: * When asked to clear a garden, it's worth asking what is trying to be grown there because it's not always obvious what is or isn't a weed. * It's advised not to use sprays to kill weeds but to pull them out instead. But remember to dig them out from the weeds otherwise they'll just grow back! * Once a bed is cleared of weeds, putting mulch (or tarpaulin) over the empty bed prevents the weeds from seeing the sunlight so should block them from growing back.