Meanwhile, at another client’s house, we were asked to clear a huge, invasive nettle patch. Now… this poses somewhat of a quandary for an environmentally friendly gardener:
- Nettles are just about the most wildlife friendly plant there is.
- Nettles are incredibly useful. (Soup, pesto, organic fertiliser, string – yes we did make nettle string with one of our school gardening clubs recently).
- Nettles are a sign of a healthy soil, replete with nitrogen.
However, we removed the majority of the nettles and the area we created freed up space for a mini fruit orchard into which we planted several gooseberries and black and white currant shrubs (in the more shady area).