Gardening advice

[wellinghall]

So one for rustica, bunn, helflaed, and anyone else who wants to chuck their twopenn'orth in.

Our garden is bordered by a shared driveway, with a low wall and fence in between. The drive is tarmac (although fairly old and broken tarmac), and the usual stuff (dandelions, grass, nettles, more dandelions) grows along the edges.

It struck me today that maybe I could get something more attractive to grow there. I'm not prepared to put in very much work to achieve this, and I certainly wouldn't be looking for a high success rate; but can anyone suggest any seeds that might work?

Thanks

Comments

[bunn.livejournal.com]

Ok, take a seat and get some tea while I witter on and on...

If it already has dandelions and nettles in it, you will be lucky to get anything else to grow without digging it all out and removing the roots. (OK, you could use a weedkiller, but I wouldn't.)

If you want seeds and it's sunny, I'd try alyssum, forgetmenot, virginia stock, nightscented stock (and candytuft!) but don't expect to be able to sow them direct into grass and leave them: they do need some soil, even if it's only cracks between paving slabs.

Don't even bother with corn poppies: the seed goes off really quickly and the packeted stuff rarely germinates. the big 'opium' poppies might do well though, they're tough and look great, and you get poppyseeds for your bread...

If it's not quite so sunny and you like them, nasturtians are always worth a go, are a nice Tolkien reference, and will grow *almost* anywhere. Also the flowers are edible... They are big seeds though so you do need to bury them, not just sprinkle, and they will love you if you can remember to water them a few times this spring.

If you can be bothered, you would greatly up your success rate by planting your seeds into a tray of compost and then planting out once the young plants have 6-8 leaves, but it's not essential.

More likely to work are bulbs - it is just early enough that you could get some 'in the green' bluebells and they would look fab next year, and probably beat even your nettles into submission. You do need some shade for bluebells though. http://home-garden.listings.ebay.co.uk/Bulbs-Corms-Rhizomes_Bluebells_W0QQfsooZ2QQfsopZ2QQsacatZ122894QQsocmdZListingItemList

Also, what about some daffs? It's mostly too late to plant now, though if you have a look in a local not-too-brilliant garden center you may well find some half-finished pots being flogged off cheap, they are well worth getting for next year as long as they aren't paperwhites (not hardy and smell weird). Oru buy a bag this autumn: it's hard to go wrong with daffs...

But beyond that, I beg you, do not scorn the dandelion. If dandelions were hard to grow, everyone would want them and people would pay absurd sums for their golden loveliness. I was walking through a field studded thickly with dandelions today, and honestly, no buttercup or primrose could be more beautiful: I think they are fabulous plants.

[helflaed.livejournal.com]

You can pickle the nasturtium seeds and use them as a substitute for capers.