[SweetPea]

At the bottom of our garden we have a fence with a lock up shed.  Behind that there's a paved area about 5ft x 10ft.  It's a big area but we don't use it at all, in fact, most of the time I forget it's there!

It's in the shade so I have plans to put a compost bin there, but is there anything else that I could grow in pots there to utilise the space?  I've had a thumb through the books I have but it seems that most plants would rather be in partial sun

[Jake]

You could get some meadow seed down there, should attract some beneficial insects and birds, bit of biodiversity and all that.

There's things like silverweed which you can eat the roots, they're a bit fiddly though, for the amount of food you get. Blackberries will probably grow there, you could train them around hoops.

All sorts of uses for some flowers, medicinal mainly. I got some from naturescape.

Obviously not all species in these packs would be suitable for shade but some would survive and even thrive.

One selection contains

Yarrow 5%
Agrimony 4%
Common knapweed 5%
Greater knapweed 4%
Wild carrot 4%
Ladys bedstraw 6%
Meadow cranesbill 4%
Common st. johns wort 2%
Field scabious 8%
Ox eye daisy 5%
Ragged robin 4%
Musk mallow 5%
Ribwort plantain 7%
Hoary plantain 6%
Self heal 6%
Meadow buttercup 6%


 Hay rattle 4%
Common sorrel 3%
White campion 4%
Devilsbit scabious 3%
Dark mullein 2%
Tufted vetch 3%

Grasses

Highland bent 5%
Crested dogtail 25%
Sheeps fescue 20%
Red fescue 20%
Slender red fescue 15%
Smooth stalked meadow grass 15%

Sounds interesting anyway

[SweetPea]

That does sound interesting - thanks for the info Jake.  I'll go and have a look at naturescape.

I was thinking of vegetables etc that I could grow back there, but actually I do like the idea of planting to attract insects and birds too.  I'll let you know what I end up with!

[SweetPea]

My shiny new compost bin was outside my garden gate when I got home tonight *cheers*

It was like Christmas  That'll be the first thing to go in the uncharted bit

[lisa]

I ve got one of those at the back and side of my shed and its growing all manners of rubbish and weeds!!  i even found a water butt there at the weekend, and a blackberry bush so thats a plus. but know what you mean but dark an uncharted!!!