Halloween decorations may feature towering skeletons and front-yard zombies, but longtime gardeners say the real frights often emerge from their own backyards — through invasive plants, misplaced seeds and wildlife mischief.

Many homeowners recount years-long battles with problem plantings that seemed harmless at first. One gardener said she is still haunted by mint she planted directly in the soil decades ago, which spread uncontrollably and continues to resurface despite repeated efforts to remove it. Others have found that improperly identified ornamentals — such as spreading Liriope instead of the clumping kind — can destroy nearby bulbs and perennials when removal becomes necessary.

Gardeners say some blunders are self-inflicted, while others arise from plant mislabelling, overenthusiastic squirrels, or misguided advice. A couple in New York, for instance, was encouraged to scatter cayenne pepper to deter pests from their vegetable garden. They later realised they had used pepper flakes containing seeds — and soon hot pepper plants overran their beds.

Wildlife-related mysteries are common too. One homeowner who couldn’t understand why ripe tomatoes kept disappearing from his vines eventually learned that landscapers were eating them while mowing the lawn. In another case, a neighbour’s running bamboo grew under a fence and punctured a backyard swimming pool.

Even bird feeders can lead to chaos. A Texas gardener who hung one over newly landscaped stones said flung seeds and rainstorms quickly turned the tidy space into a patchwork of weeds.

Experts warn that surprises can also arrive with pests. New York horticulture specialist Alice Raimondo recalled a homeowner bringing in decorative cones for a craft project — only to discover they were filled with live bagworms.

Gardeners say the lesson is simple: even the best intentions can turn into cautionary tales, proving that nature sometimes offers a shocking trick instead of a seasonal treat.

Source: AP