If you planned on removing the cloth one day, why did you put it in to
begin with? I'd remove it, mulch it well and watch your plants
spread. In shade the weeds shouldn't be too much of a problem anyway,
especially with a good layer of mulch. The only time I use fabric is
if I want to kill off some grass and even then I use 2 to 3 layers
because it'd find it's way thru.

On Sat, 24 May 2003 11:56:32 -0400, spampot wrote:

I put down landscaping cloth and mulch under our purple-
leaved plum and started a shade garden. I've cut fair-sized
holes in the cloth where I've put plants in, but am wondering
how far out to cut the cloth away from plants that I want to
spread, like hostas and ostrich fern. Any advice? Yes, I do
hope one day to remove most if not all of the cloth, leaving
perhaps some narrow paths between plants so I can get in and
clean up.