Reject Convenience Forum

Hey all, I've got a spot in my garden that needs some plants and I'm not sure which ones to plant.

I've got a few square feet of relatively compacted (not concrete, but clay) soil that is adjacent to my onions, leeks, and potatoes. It's part of a garden path, and I step over (but not on) it frequently. I'm located in the American Ag. zone 5a.

I want to plant an annual, since I might change up the garden layout next year and I don't want to commit to the placement of a perennial.

I want it to be low-growing, since I step over it often. Throwing down some oregano there would be cool, but I don't want to have to pole vault from stepping stone to stepping stone.

I don't want it to spread too aggressively, since there are other plants nearby with which I don't want it competing.

And it needs to be able to handle the pretty crappy soil.

Don't suppose yall have any ideas that fit the bill?

Mustard greens! Their roots are good for breaking up heavy soils, and they won't get too tall if you harvest them and/or trim them before they go to seed (which you should unless you want a billion baby mustard plants next year). Leafy greens tend to coexist nicely with alliums.

You can probably get two crops if you plant the first one now, uniess you have an unusually early frost.

Great idea! Thanks!