Beware the early spring garden and all it’s mysteries. Although a straggly assortment of green tips may be emerging from your beds, resist the temptation to pull everything “weedy-looking”. Most of what you see you have probably planted on purpose! Here is a visual guide to some common garden plants and what their foliage looks like.
I will start with the thistle versus the poppy. I don’t think most people would mistake the thistle for anything but a weed, but after having seen the thistle how many of us would pull the poppy too, thinking it was the same plant?
Beware the Thistle. Use gloves and pull from underneath the leaves.
Poppies-do not pull out of your garden!
Peony
Daisies
Weed-do not confuse with daises. These leaves are not rounded at the tip, but pointy.
Ajuga,also called bugleweed is a spring-blooming ground cover
Siberian Iris
Bearded Iris
Columbine
Ladys Mantle
Plumstone 
Thanks. Fascinating article! Hope to get more info on this from you. Such a cool article. Thank you for the time you put into this. You’re a pretty good writer & vulgarizer.
I’m glad you liked it. I was a little alarmed by the term vulgarizer until I looked it up. It is not often I “meet” a new word so thanks for that too!