Fevets wrote:
Hope I might be able to get some ideas or recommendations...

I have patch of land around .5 acres, south facing and sloping at
around 35 degrees (going up from my property) to a height of around 30
feet to a hedge and substation the other side.

The land is composed of a rough soil mixed with bricks, coal ash /
clinker and stone. The only things growing are dandelions etc. The
depth of the waste appears to be at least 6 feet (I believe its from
an old mill clearance, bulldozed out of the way in the 80's to build
the houses), so clearance to 'real earth' is out of the question.

The land has had Japanese knotweed on it which has (after 4 years of
work, lots of weed killer and a large garden incinerator) been brought
under control, so clearance off site would not be practical given the
costs likely for disposal

So - my problem is how to develop the land to garden. At the moment my
thought is to terrace into levels and put a layer (12 inches ? 18
inches ???) of compost / soil and grow in that. I am really not sure
how to go about this - can anyone advise on the correct levels of
compost / soil I would need, depths to work to, or recommend any books
for developing a garden on what I suppose is a 'brown field site'.


PEFECT conditions fo a wild flower meadow - low nutrient/fertility so grass
competition will not be an issue

pk

http://www.rspb.org.uk/gardens/guide...meadowarea.asp
Meadow area
Wild flower meadows are extraordinarily beautiful and teeming with wildlife:
spiders spinning webs, caterpillars munching leaves, butterflies and moths
supping nectar, all sorts of bees gathering pollen, birds foraging for
insects and seeds and small mammals searching for food. Such meadows are
usually created by a particular pattern of mowing and grazing. Cattle graze
in the winter, then, in spring, the plants are allowed to grow, flower and
set seed. In June the meadow is cut for hay.

Nowadays wild flower meadows are extremely rare - we have lost 95% in the
last 50 years. Planting one in your garden will really help local wildlife.
Make the most of your garden
a.. Cordon off a sunny area of lawn and don't mow it. If your lawn is
weedy, some wild flowers will thrive. But for a true wild flower meadow you
must have poor soil. Most gardens have too many nutrients, and you may need
to remove some topsoil.
b.. Mow a winding grass path to allow access to the meadow and other parts
of the garden.
c.. Remove all clippings and never add fertiliser to your wild flower
meadow.