First kill the weeds with something like "roundup" which only destroys above
ground vegetation and is harmless once it reaches the soil.

Then try a raised beds filled with good compost above the existing roots,
surrounded by log rolls which you can buy at supermarkets very cheaply. You
can then plant any shade loving plants you wish - ferns, bluebells, tree
anenemes, hostas, primroses, snowdrops etc, to give year round interest.

Finally you could cover the surface with bark chips to keep any more weeds
at bay.

Quick, cheap and simple.

Hope this helps - good luck

Alan

"louisxiv" wrote in message
...
Hi

I have a fairly shaded area of my garden which is very solid and pretty
much undiggable due to the presence of the roots of two Sycamore and two
Elder trees. It does however get really weedy. I'd like to either a) grow
something which will give nice ground cover (leaving my interminable
weeding time for other, more visible areas of the garden, or b) put some
kind of weedkiller down which will leave it clear of weeds but will not
harm the well-established trees. Can anyone advise?

There's also another area of garden nearby with much nicer soil and more
sun. I'd really like to plant something there that will cover the area
which I can intersperse with shrubs. It's south-west facing and quite
exposed to wind and cold in the winter. Any ideas? I'm fond of blues,
greys and whites btw!