We have a long clay bank of quite the vilest sub soil anyone could imagine. We have planted it with daffodils and when they are out it is beautiful. However, for the rest of the year it was a bit of an eyesore and awash with weeds. It can’t really be weeded, it is vertiginous in places and in summer the clay dries so hard a pick would be needed in any case.
A year or so ago I decided that this was the place to stick in everything that was either a borderline weed (or actual but attractive weed), too thuggish for the rest of the garden or a leftover from a bit of splitting or redesigning that I was loath to compost. No serious design goes into the arrangement, it is pure survival of the fittest. On my way to and fro I prize out the odd weed I can reach and we have the odd strim at the top. The effect is now really pretty good, and I think the weeds are weakening their hold. The wildlife love this area, and it is always a mass of bees and butterflies.
I’m now doing the same at “compost bin corner” and I’m really pleased with the results so far. I have a load of lupin seedlings coming on in the greenhouse and plan to add these to the mix in the back end, when the soil is workable again. The trick will be remembering exactly where the daffodils were…
Live from Ruthven 