To Weed or Not to Weed?

My hubby often laughs at me for letting a "weed" grow awhile to see what it is or looks like. I guess I need proof that it's a weed or it's just a fun little garden experiment to let a plant thrive awhile before it gets destroyed. Sounds evil that way. :)

As we all know, it's only a weed if it's unwanted. Last year I had been trying to discover what weird things were growing in the lawn and around the garden beds. My earliest discovery was in a large spot of lawn I found these pretty pink feather thin flowers sprouting from a big clump (see link below). It's called fleabane, but looks like really dainty asters. What do I do? I move the clump out of the yard and to the side to avoid the dreaded mower. Later in the year I found a smaller white version that I also had to relocate as my hubby laughed at me. Oh well..lol.

http://blog.catbirdnotes.com/__oneclick_uploads/2009/07/daisy-fleabane_07-14-09_03.jpg

Well I also found this mystery plant that's very low to the ground. It has green and deep purple leaves and I only have 3 small clumps of leaves that were slightly spread out. It was in the mowing zone so I never saw it bloom yet. Well it survived the mowing, winter and snow, and I plucked two leaves to try and figure out what it is again tonight. I am almost certain that it's a type of ajuga, possibly ajupa reptans (see link below) which is also known as bugle or bugleweed. It's grown as a ground cover and in the shade and can even be planted over some spring bulbs. I wonder how long I can delay my hubby from mowing the lawn this Spring so I can see it bloom before moving it elsewhere in the garden.

http://landscapeartisan.wordpress.com/2009/04/
http://www.reallywildflowers.co.uk/product/bugle/shop/ (it has a hyacinth-like bloom)

In other news, I think it's officially Spring. Why? Well 1, my lawn of snow is almost gone which is surprising since we had the largest pile up on the street from shoveling it ourselves. And 2, my bulbs in the back have been growing nicely and I think I might have the very beginning of a crocus bloom trying to make its way out of the leaves. Lastly, I heard a huge flock of geese heading back home. There were over 40 geese flying high and in a not so symmetrical V, but a V none the less. :) It was kind of nice since I heard them leaving in the fall, and I got to see a big bunch return. I wonder if it's the same geese...is that possible?