What to grow in place of a large broom that I rashly cut down

Help I'm new to this · February 2012

Hello,

I'm lucky enough to have acquired a large, almost perfectly designed garden but the problem is I have no gardening experience ( to give you an idea so far I have ignored both ragwort and that thing that looks a bit like a small lily but is v.bad!?). Consequently I have hundreds of questions but will start with 2.

In Autumn I cut down a large broom, I didn't particularly like it and it was quite frost damaged. I have since realised it was probably providing a quite effective wind break for some raised vegetablebeds.

Also the area beneath it is pretty covered in creeping buttercup, which I'm struggling to get rid off.

So what can I plant to replace the broom? And what about ground cover to help with the weeds?

PS. I am trying to follow my predecessors chemical free path.

Thanks,