Today I started work on a new garden which had soft edges with a pleasing archway of Honeysuckle and Clematis leading to an upper paved area and an Ivy clad shed. The customer was saddened because she cannot physically tend to her garden but was pleased that I knew how to apply muster and rejuvenate the pastoral charm of this cottage garden. There were many ornaments in this space including ceramic frogs, a metal wind chime, a shell wind chime and lots of fairies . I made a point of carefully removing these fragile components of charm out of the borders while I weeded away at the ground Elder.
From a medicinal point of view Ground Elder can ease rhumatism and Gout (swollen feet and joints in the feet) it also relives fatigue . But gardeners don't like it because it spreads its rhizomous roots the same way mint does and can become invasive.
My solution is to dig most of it out and plant an alternative ground cover . I will look at Native plants such as ground Ivy, Celandine and Periwinkle.
I will also take some leaves home for the tea pot - it smells sweet and lively ,which makes it a friendly herb in moderate capacity (not every square inch of the border!)