Nettled by nettles

RHS members are getting into a right old hue and cry over the perceived benefits of weeds in their well-tended plots (Mail).

is it any wonder the new line of accommodating plants that were once deemed out of place coincides with the reign of new president Keith Weed?

As for nettles, the reputational value of which has recently soared, as a child my mission was to topple as many of these unwanted stingers as i could, using a stick of a suitably safe length.

Since then has come repentance as i’ve learned of the benefits nettles bring to the garden and wildlife.

As for deliberately growing them, this is no easy task. They tend to pitch up, seemingly overnight, in inconvenient locations.

Every effort i’ve made at transplanting them and enhancing their existence results in quick death, alas.

Oh, the irony. T. J. HICKMAN, Southampton.