By . Alex Ward . PUBLISHED: . 04:37 EST, 10 August 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 04:48 EST, 10 August 2012 . While most gardeners would be quick to rip this weed from their garden bed, this man is proud of his 12ft tall thistle which he can lovingly tend to from his upstairs window. John Lowde, 86, believes the prickly plant, which is taking up most of his front garden, could be the tallest thistle known to man. He has grown the common garden weed before, usually only reaching a modest height of 4ft, but this grey scotch thistle is his new pride and joy. Prickly pride and joy: John Lowde believes the 12ft thistle growing in his front yard might be a new world record . The retired miner from Langold, Nottinghamshire said: ‘It's about 12ft tall and the same in width. It has over 100 flower heads and is a wonderful sight. ‘I have grown ones before that have got up to three or four feet but nothing like this.’ The stinging weed has been known to . reach heights of close to 10ft but the official Guinness World Record is . an 8ft specimen in Canada. Mr Lowde believes his thistle might set a . new record. Lovingly tended: The thistle is so tall that Mr Lowde can even look after his huge garden weed from his upstairs window . What a novelty: The proud gardener says his thistle plant is a 'wonderful sight', taking up most of his front garden . His wife Maureen, a retired cook, is not fussed by the weed taking up most of their front garden. She said: ‘It must have been a seed last year because it was only about six or seven inches high last spring. ‘I just thought, let's see how tall it can get. I won't be cutting it down because the birds like to eat the seeds. ‘I think we'll just see how big it gets.’ How tall can it get? Mr Lowdes has grown thistles before, usually only reaching 4ft, and his wife Maureen has no plans to cut it down .
Retired John Lowde, 86, has grown a 12ft thistle in his front garden .
He believes it could set a new world record .
It is so tall that he can even tend to it from his upstairs window .
Mr Lowde has grown thistles before but they usually only reach 4ft tall .
By . Alex Ward . PUBLISHED: . 04:37 EST, 10 August 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 04:48 EST, 10 August 2012 . While most gardeners would be quick to rip this weed from their garden bed, this man is proud of his 12ft tall thistle which he can lovingly tend to from his upstairs window. John Lowde, 86, believes the prickly plant, which is taking up most of his front garden, could be the tallest thistle known to man. He has grown the common garden weed before, usually only reaching a modest height of 4ft, but this grey scotch thistle is his new pride and joy. Prickly pride and joy: John Lowde believes the 12ft thistle growing in his front yard might be a new world record . The retired miner from Langold, Nottinghamshire said: ‘It's about 12ft tall and the same in width. It has over 100 flower heads and is a wonderful sight. ‘I have grown ones before that have got up to three or four feet but nothing like this.’ The stinging weed has been known to . reach heights of close to 10ft but the official Guinness World Record is . an 8ft specimen in Canada. Mr Lowde believes his thistle might set a . new record. Lovingly tended: The thistle is so tall that Mr Lowde can even look after his huge garden weed from his upstairs window . What a novelty: The proud gardener says his thistle plant is a 'wonderful sight', taking up most of his front garden . His wife Maureen, a retired cook, is not fussed by the weed taking up most of their front garden. She said: ‘It must have been a seed last year because it was only about six or seven inches high last spring. ‘I just thought, let's see how tall it can get. I won't be cutting it down because the birds like to eat the seeds. ‘I think we'll just see how big it gets.’ How tall can it get? Mr Lowdes has grown thistles before, usually only reaching 4ft, and his wife Maureen has no plans to cut it down .
his 12ft tall thistle which he can lovingly tend to from his upstairs window. John Lowde, 86, growing in his front yard might be a new world thistle is so tall that Mr Lowde can even look grown thistles before, usually only reaching 4ft,