landscape around pine trees

[2plus2]

I have two old tall pine trees in my back yard close to each other ,no grass will grow beneath them so I was thinking about landscaping around them. Thought of using some sort of stone border to loop around the two trees and fill in with flowering shrubs, flowers, and cedar chips. My question is what would grow in that area? We live in the midwest.

 

[nocnurse]

You can't go wrong with hostas. Chances are the soil is dry and acidic, as well as shady. There's not a lot that will grow in these conditions. I have hostas, epimediums, pulmonaria, lamium, solomon seal, brunnera and Japanese painted ferns growing in similar conditions in my yard. There are variegated and color varieties of most of these plants, so it is pretty. If you want color, you'll have to set out pots of shade lovers like impatiens, tuberous begonias, albutilon. coleus, and caladium. The soil is just too dry from the trees for them to be planted in the ground.

So far I have had no luck with shrubs. I've tried azaleas and mountain laurel with no luck, but theoretically they should work. Rhododendrens too.

Hope this helps. I love my shade garden. It's a restful place in the yard, perfect for a bench.