On 13/10/2010 04:51, Sally Green wrote:
Thanks everyone for your feedback

The trees are supercolumns from

http://www.chrisbowers.co.uk/

I dont know what the rootstock is but a friend has these trees growing
in her garden. I expect that they need to be pruned to keep them to
the right shape but they do seem to do what they say on the tin

I dont think that the trees will shade the herbs but if they do and
the herbs fail then so be it. I am more concerned that the trees would
not do well with herbs around the base as I know that it is not
recommended to grow grass close to a young tree. I am not sure how
sharp the drainage will be in the bed as I am planning to put lots of
good compost into the bed to give the tree a good start, but again, I
would rather have conditions to suit the trees than to suit the herbs
because it is a baking hot spot in summer

I shall just go for it then ...

Sally


If you wanted to grow something beneath the trees that would both cope
with the situation and be pretty in a different season, you could try
snowdrops, winter aconites, Anemone blanda, dwarf narcissi for the
spring and Cyclamen hederifolium for the autumn. For summer, you could
try Mecanopsis cambrica, which would be dainty but cheerful and cope
with the conditions. I have M. cambrica in my woodland garden.
I know these aren't edible plants, but they would still be a good use of
the ground.

--
Spider
from high ground in SE London
gardening on clay