Landscaping around a tree: ideas for planting, paths and seating

Landscaping around an established tree takes a little more thought than landscaping elsewhere in the garden. The soil can be full of roots, the area may be heavily shaded, and the canopy can affect how much rain reaches the ground.

With the right approach, though, the space beneath and around a tree can become one of the most attractive parts of the garden. Here are some practical ideas for planting, paths and seating.

Why is the ground under a tree often difficult to landscape?

Established trees create dry shade, root competition for water and nutrients, and in some cases dense enough canopy that very little light reaches the ground at all. Grass in particular tends to struggle here, which is why so many mature trees end up standing in a bare, compacted patch rather than a planted or paved area.

None of this makes the space unusable. It just means the planting, paths and seating chosen need to suit those specific conditions rather than assuming the area will behave like open lawn or a sunny border.

Planting around trees: what actually grows well here

Dry shade planting is its own category for a reason, and a number of reliable plants tolerate it well.

• Hardy geraniums, which spread well in dappled shade and tolerate root competition better than many perennials.
• Ferns, particularly varieties suited to dry shade rather than the damp conditions ferns are sometimes associated with.
• Hellebores, which flower in late winter when little else is doing much, and cope well with the dry conditions under deciduous trees.
• Spring bulbs, such as snowdrops and crocuses, which flower and largely finish their growth cycle before the canopy fully leafs out and blocks the light.
• Ground cover plants like periwinkle or bugle, which spread to fill bare ground and suppress weeds without competing heavily for water.

Avoid planting directly against the trunk, and keep new planting far enough from major surface roots that you’re not disturbing them when digging. A general rule is to work within the soil pockets between visible roots rather than trying to create a uniform bed that ignores them.

Paths around trees: routing around roots, not through them

A path that runs straight through a root zone risks damaging the roots during construction and can be disrupted by root growth later. Curving a path around the base of a tree, rather than through it, avoids both problems and tends to look more natural in the process.

A few practical points help.

• Keep paths at least a metre from the trunk of a mature tree where possible, more for very large or shallow-rooted species.
• Use a permeable surface, such as gravel or bark, rather than solid paving directly over root zones, so water and air can still reach the roots underneath.
• Avoid excavating deeply for path foundations near visible roots; a shallow, permeable base disturbs the root system far less than digging out for a full sub-base.

Seating around trees: making the space usable

A tree naturally creates one of the best seating spots in a garden, offering shade in summer and often a genuine sense of shelter. The challenge is finding seating that fits the space without needing to disturb the roots to install it.

A circular or hexagonal bench built to wrap around the trunk itself makes efficient use of the space directly beneath the canopy, seating several people without needing a separate area of clear ground nearby. Our range of curved bench seating is designed specifically for this, sitting around the base of the tree rather than competing with it for space, and sits within our wider collection of tree benches built for exactly this kind of spot.

Where a wraparound bench isn’t the right fit, a more conventional wooden garden bench positioned just beyond the canopy’s edge, facing back towards the tree, is a straightforward alternative that avoids the root zone entirely while still making use of the shade.

Installing seating without disturbing tree roots

A few precautions reduce the risk of harming a mature tree when adding a bench nearby.

• Avoid deep digging or concreting directly over visible or suspected root zones. A bench that sits on the surface, or on a shallow gravel or paving base, is generally safer than one requiring deep foundations.
• If ground anchoring is needed, use it further from the trunk where roots are typically finer and less critical to the tree’s stability.
• Where possible, position the bench where existing bare or sparsely planted ground already exists, rather than clearing new ground close to the trunk.

Landscaping under trees with limited light

Very dense canopies, such as mature beech or horse chestnut, can leave almost no light reaching the ground. In these cases, it’s often more realistic to work with the bare ground itself, using bark mulch, gravel, or a simple seating area, rather than fighting to establish planting that’s unlikely to thrive. A well-placed bench and a mulched surface can look considered and deliberate, even without extensive planting underneath.

Frequently asked questions

Garden Benches