‘Creeping Charlie’ Is Invading Our Part Of Our Backyard

Since we moved into our house in northwest Rochester three years ago, we've been trying to work on getting the lawn more weed-free. We've fertilizing in the fall, adding seed in the spring along with more fertilizer, and it's beginning to look pretty good. Except for a new visitor we've noticed near the garden.

After doing some research online, my wife discovered we're starting to get an infestation of 'Creeping Charlie' in a corner of our yard. Creeping Charlie, or Glechoma hederacea, as its known in scientific circles, is a fairly commonly occurring weed. According to THIS article, it's a "perennial, evergreen creeper that loves moist, shady areas. Used by the ancient Saxons for brewing beer, it was brought to this country from Europe for medicinal purposes. It's now found all across the country, except in the Rocky Mountain states. It spreads by rhizomes and seeds, and forms thick mats in the lawn."

That whole side of our lawn, thanks to our fence and other factors, IS pretty wet. Which perhaps explains why Charlie is Creeping into our lawn. So how do you get rid of it? That's the question we're asking ourselves right now. Actually, we're still waiting for that corner of the yard to fully dry out before we attempt anything. I'll let you know how we do. In the meantime, if you have some Creeping Charlie in your yard, here's a video that shows how to control it, and, ultimately, get rid of it...