sacha wrote:

The pretty and mat-forming, so less invasive, Vinca minor
Gertrude Jekyll would be pretty. Ugni molinae might do the job and
would provide edible (by humans) berries and Raymond wonders if grasses
have been considered? But whether it's shady or sunny will make a
difference and it would certainly help to know that. Hostas might do a
good job there in shade or dappled shade.

Thanks to you and all the others for the advice,
which I will read through carefully and see what is available.

The waste plot does not get very dry, at least in winter and spring,
and is reasonably sunny.
The house is in Anghiari, which is quite high.
Someone suggested nasturtiums might not grow here.
In fact my wife brought some seeds over from plants in Ireland,
and they grew like wildfire.
My impression is the the plants that people grow here
are more or less the same as in Ireland or the UK.
My wife is the gardener and has planted standard UK/Irish plants
in the garden, roses, jasmine, lavender, ceanothus,
ivy (variegated, not for me), geraniums, tulips, etc.
They certainly grow more vigorously than they would in Dublin.

The local garden centre (very good, I think, or at least very helpful)
advertise their roses as being British.

Sunflowers are a popular crop for the farmers round here,
though I am afraid tobacco has become more popular in the last 2 or 3 years,
I am sure due to some change in taxation or subsidy.

--
Timothy Murphy
e-mail: gayleard /at/ eircom.net
School of Mathematics, Trinity College, Dublin 2, Ireland