By Beckerl
Maryland,
United States 
I need some help with this area of my garden. It is a small corner at the end of the yard. A Japanese Maple grows there and very little else. You cannot plant around it, because the maple's roots are everywhere. I'd love to make this an interesting part of the garden, but I just don't know what to do. Thank you!!!
2 Apr, 2012
Answers
How about a woodland type area - create some dappled light/shade by lifting and clearing. You could also try broadcasting some China Doxin seed - grows everywhere in all sorts of nooks and crannies, dry or wet, sun or shade, and creates a lovely low blue carpet of flower at this time of year. When it is finished it just disappears! Any spread onto the lawn can be easily mown up. Also, if your weather gets a cold season, then small woodland bulbs of all kinds can be planted in the ground under and around your maple such as aconites, anenomes, snowdrops, blue bells etc? Use a bulb planter to cut through surface fibrous roots, which won't harm your maple, and fill the hole with fine seed compost for your seed or small bulb, then water in. If your weather suits it better - try some of the perriwinkle (vinca) and/or perrenial lilly-of-the-valley, which can spread under the tree? Wild violets may also be okay for you?
2 Apr, 2012
I had a similar area full of matted tree roots. I found if you put tiny seedlings in, they establish themselves. Aquilegias, cyclamen, violets and stipa tenuissima are now growing quite happily in this problem area.
2 Apr, 2012
How about putting one of those circular benches around the trunk with a fer small pavers for access?
3 Apr, 2012
Thank you all for the great suggestions. I'm in the process of incorporating some of these into the garden. Steragram, I have always loved those circular benches, but the budget doesn't like them as much as I do. Maybe in the next year or two.....
4 Apr, 2012
Gosh, how I know what you mean...
6 Apr, 2012
Previous question
« Many thanks for advice have to descale the kettle on a regular basis!
What I have done in the past with great success in a similar situation Beck, is add and mound plenty of rich soil around the base of the tree and then planted shade loving plants in that mound if you will. This way you don't have to do any digging around the roots, which is almost impossible. For the 1st season I placed larger stones around the edges of the soil to avoid having it wash away. It worked out well and looks really good now.
Hope this helps.
Here is a pic of it to help you understand what I mean.
http://www.growsonyou.com/photo/slideshow/215529-front-garden/member/lilcrawford
2 Apr, 2012