Hello,

I'm a new user (and a new gardener), so sorry for my first post being one asking for help!

I have discovered one of the joys/pains of buying a house with a garden, and that is that as you go through your first spring, unidentified plants start popping up all over the place, not to mention the fact that any time I dig a hole for anything, I invariably put my trowel right into the side of a bulb!

My query is regarding this plant, I did see it at the tail end of last summer, but cut it back when it died off. I'm not sure if it's a welcome plant or a weed - all I do know is that it has spread, and seems to want to spread further still.

Any ideas what it might be, and whether I should welcome it, or not. There is a big raised clump of it growing right next to a site where I will be planting a single-U cordoned pear tree when it arrives in a few weeks. Is this some deep-rooted monster which will suck the life out of my new fruit tree, or should I keep it to attract friendly pollinators?

Here are the pics:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3643/...d56fb65a_o.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3606/...07967f64_o.jpg

In the summer, when it flowers, it has bright yellow flowers at the end of these shoots. Lots of them. when it first poked through it looked like some strange worm/snake hybrid coming up for air...

Many thanks in advance for your help.

Steve