Interplanting queries

[rinabean]

What can I grow under/around raspberries, redcurrants and other fruit bushes? They are not really "bushes" yet, more like glorified sticks, but as I'm expecting them to grow there's a lot of space between them. I was thinking mint, just because I like mint and berries, but it's probably too tall for this year (unless there are low varieties?). I know it spreads, but I'd rather weed mint than most other plants. Any other ideas, preferably edible? It has to tolerate partial shade, too. Otherwise I'll just mulch, but it seems a waste of space.

One side of the garden has a hawthorn hedge. It's not very well cared for, and not very hedge-y, more like a row of little trees with huge gaps. Someone has told me to cut back the bottom halves to make them spread out more (the top half is better). Is this right? And is there anything I can plant in the gaps in the meantime to make it a bit... hedgier? Some kind of climbing flower would be nice, but nothing so vigorous and clingy that it'd kill the hawthorn. (I'm kind of regretting ripping out all the brambles, but it was too hard to see which ones were only within the hedge and which were encroaching onto the garden, so I went in all guns blazing!)

This is my first year with a garden and I have no idea what I'm doing so I would really appreciate any advice! Thanks

[zazen999]

I put chives and strawberries under my rasps, with some flowers to bring the bees in - limanthes and crimson clover are good.

[Two_Sheds]

What can I grow under/around raspberries, ...I was thinking mint, ... I'd rather weed mint than most other plants.

I seriously wouldn't.

Unless you plant it in a pot, sunk in the ground, that'll contain the roots a bit.

[veggiechicken]

I have lots of herbs under my raspberries - lemon balm, golden oregano, marjoram, mint, lovage etc. They all spread but I don't mind - I enjoy the wonderful scent as I walk on the herbs. I don't weed it either, just let it do its own thing. BUT I also let my raspberries run amok so I am not a good example!

[rinabean]

I put chives and strawberries under my rasps, with some flowers to bring the bees in - limanthes and crimson clover are good.

Thank you! I have some strawberries to plant, but I never considered putting them in the berry patch I'll look up the bee plants too.

I seriously wouldn't.

Unless you plant it in a pot, sunk in the ground, that'll contain the roots a bit.

It's that bad? I've been dealing with things like snowberries (how can something so pretty and with such a cute name be so awful to deal with?) so I have built up a fairly high tolerance for plants that refuse to die. Do you think it will harm the berries? Will it overtake the lawn (I actually wouldn't mind this too much)?

Then again, even if it will kill the berries and the grass, I still might be tempted if that meant it would help me in my war against the nettles, haha! (Maybe not if I'll only be waging war against mint instead, though...) Thanks

I have lots of herbs under my raspberries - lemon balm, golden oregano, marjoram, mint, lovage etc. They all spread but I don't mind - I enjoy the wonderful scent as I walk on the herbs. I don't weed it either, just let it do its own thing. BUT I also let my raspberries run amok so I am not a good example!

No, it sounds good to me! Avoiding weeding is perfect, and I don't mind if things look messy as long as they're productive in some way. Thank you

[Two_Sheds]

I once made the mistake of planting mint amongst my potatoes. Within a year, I had a field full of mint (at least it felt like that). It really is a thug, it spreads like couch grass and is pretty hard to pull up.

You shouldn't disturb the roots of raspberries, so you can't be hoeing around them

[rinabean]

I once made the mistake of planting mint amongst my potatoes. Within a year, I had a field full of mint (at least it felt like that). It really is a thug, it spreads like couch grass and is pretty hard to pull up.

You shouldn't disturb the roots of raspberries, so you can't be hoeing around them

Oh dear! Okay, I'll give the mint a miss then. Thank you

[Farmer_Gyles]

my raspberries grow up against the fence - i have about 2ft between the fence and the path - that is covered with weed sheeting and some strawberries planted through

my currants will be along the other fence, about 6ft apart - i'll have big rhubarb between them - i'll use weed sheeting from rhubarb to rhubarb, so it goes around the currants