In defense of mother in Law's tongue

Mother in Law's Tongue is a kind of ugly plant with tongue-like leaves that protrude from the ground. It can pop up any where in tough, mangy patches. I was showing this odd 'plant' to my MIL in our new garden and told her I wanted to get rid of it. My MIL informed me of its name - to which I had to cough back a laugh - and assured me it could look very nice if left to grow as it pleased. My PIL were spending the week with us to help after the move and my MIL spent a day tidying up the garden which meant heavily cutting back or even removing the plants I loved and leaving the mother in law's tongue firmly in the ground. I have seen this plant in many places since and it never looks good, it's always raggedy and over-bares the other plants and the irony of it all has never left me. I have started this blog because if I don't find an out let I will end up having a horrible confrontation with my MIL at the end of which I will look cold-hearted and irrational and will have gained nothing.