Has anyone had success with underplanting tall, old, limbed evergreens (I don't know if they are pine or spruce or ??)In Calgary, I have only seen bare, brown patches that follow the tree line, or grass in some trees that are REALLY limbed high. I appreciate any suggestions and any 'oops' stories! Thank you.

In the east, your site woud be perfect for Rhodos. But the alberta government web site does not reccommend them for Calgary (See http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/opp4045?opendocument)

YOu may simply want to decorate with river washed stone (use the 7/8 or 1" size; larger are too coarse for my taste). Or you could try something like Japanese spurge (Pachysandra terminalis) but they take forever to get estabished.

I used to deal with that problem and I was growing Aegopodium (Variegated Goutweed) under the trees. I wouldn't grow this in a garden (invasive) but under trees it was perfect. I also grew Hostas,Astilbe and Sweet Woodruff around one of them. It takes a little bit of effort to dig them in though. Hope this helps......Cleo

Try lamiums for a nice variegated groundcover that won't take over the world like goutweed. Or Corydalis lutea for pretty fine foliage and little yellow flowers that keep on blooming up a storm from May to November. Am not sure of the hardiness of the Corydalis, but have seen it doing very well in zone 4.

I have planted daylilies under mine. Nothing exotic, just the basic orange ones that are generally seen on roadsides, etc. I had a bunch to move from elsewhere in my yard and while I had to use small divisions so as not to disrupt the tree roots too much when planting, they have taken very well.