Sharon, I would love to transform you into the little girl under the poppies - then you might help me figure out how to actually use all these herbs I am slowly learning how to grow...
Arlene, the black soil is a top-dressing compost that I put on after I weed everything. I've been doing so for quite a few years and the under soil is showing a definite improvement, not as black as the compost but still a nice dark loamy brown.
Here's another section all cleaned up - what I call the witch's corner (or more often the b-word), with plants that are helpful for various female complaints: lady's mantle, yarrow, motherswort, evening primrose, sea holly, sweet cicely, pasque flower. I initially planted snakeroot behind the bench, but it was too much sun.
