It was a pleasant surprise at the last meeting to find out that the clients would like more edibles, herbs and things for the kitchen.
There’s a couple of beds to replant: a rocky, part-shady bed on the west side of the house, by the path that goes round to the back, and also the steep bed at the front of the house, with steps up from the track.
Ideas for plants for the Woodland Bed are currently rhubarb and mint. I think it’s an ideal opportunity, with the same budget, to create some more structure and year round planting. Again, I had thought about hostas, Solomons Seal and Sweet Cicely. They are all good plants but they all die back in the winter.
Turkish Rhubarb in ornamental border
What I will do first is to clear the bed, and then look at options to add evergreens and possible small shrubs to the mix.
For the small steps, the clients would like herbs, rather than the robust Lesser Periwinkle I was thinking of. I am thinking of a compact native Oregano cultivar for by the fence, possibly some more native Thyme (if there’s enough sun) and possibly a mint further down (if it can be contained easily). Need to think about what can be picked from the path!