Sorry Columbine, but this is a mess. The whole setting looks like it's been disturbed. The trees look like maples which are shallow rooted and appear to have choked off anything being able to grow there. The ground also looks as hard as macadam as well - it's doubtful if you could plant anything there and have it survive let alone prosper.

You're going to need to really rethink what you want to do here and I would limit my investment here to just making it navigable should it lead to something that's a bit more garden like.

Columbine, it looks to me like you have some nice trees around there. (Where are you located?) And the plants that you've listed sound great! Except the ivy which can kill the trees. Here's a website that tells you what kind of trouble it can cause: http://walamarestoration.org/resources/english-ivy-the-hazards-and-removal-strategies.

It's hard to tell from the photo, but it looks pretty steep. Your trail seems to have some erosion happening. I don't know a lot about making stairs on trails - maybe someone else can offer help there - but I would cover that trail with something, even leaves, to try to stop the soil loss.

I just did a search to see what was out there and found a site that might help you. It's called Woodland Stewardship. It sounds like what you are trying to do. I've posted the link to the chapter on trails, but the home page has the contents on the right starting with making a woodland stewardship plan. Hope it helps.

Kat

Here is a link that might be useful: Woodland Stewardship - Trails

Columbine , I have just a small area for my woodlands
garden,I just made a path down thru an arbor and I used creek bed flat stones as steps.I put in green variety of hostas ,many types of Ferns,Trout Lillies,Bloodroot ,Wild Ginger and many native Wood Hyacinths ,May apples etc.I will try and post a picture...I also placed a Park bench where we can sit in amongst them....Nice and cool in the summer time as it receives only partial sun

I started off with pretty much the same thing. steep hill, a lot of grape, honeysuckle, poison ivy, English ivy etc...it just takes time and tons on work and a lot of good soil > get rid of those bricks.

Looking good there, Shadyplace!

+oM

Wow, tomasincas and shadyplace! Those are gorgeous! Do you have any before pictures?

Oh my heavens, Shadyplace! Your hill is an inspiration! We have a similar hill leading down into the forest in our back yard and this is exactly what I was picturing doing a little bit at a time! Can I ask, did you install this yourself? I'd love to see before pics as well, if you have them!

I'm reading this and kinda confused.... you guys are responding to "Columbine" and I thought the OP was "jaclynm210" . Love everyones pics especially "shadyplace" 's stonework.

Sometimes people change their user names, so the new name appears in their header link, but the old name remains in the body text of others' posts.

Okay, I love pics of shade/woodland gardens. I am waiting for my trees to grow. I have a couple oaks that have shade plants under them on the sides where the sun is blocked out most of the day, but, there are some places I have shade, but would need to find a way to bury a hose to where I could water the plants easily until the plants are established, this is farther from my house, and I need to kill weeds and mulch the areas, it's hard to catch up, the yard is a couple acres, so I don't want to start too much, then it goes wild from lack of care. I can take care of what I have now, well, close to the house, but, I have 2 Rhod Maximum Wild native Rhodies and I need to plant them before fall, which is no problem, but, I will need to water them often so they do well, and get situated before winter. I want them in my yard far from the house. I guess I could carry a bunch of plastic containers of water to them in my yard cart hooked to the lawn tractor. I have planted several of them in my more managed area, closer to the house, and they can take a week without rain/watering before they look a bit wilty. They used to need watered 3 times a week. As far as the lower yard, if I planted the 2 rhodies there. I can stretch a hose to them. The rhodies are potted, but, I want them in the ground, if the pot/roots freeze I think the plant will die. The larger rhodie has a branch that is hanging low and I think I just may be able to pin it to the ground and get another Rhodie off of it by layering. I can stretch a bunch of hoses hooked to each other to the lower yard, I will likely do that. Or the bottles of water thing. There is no question here, just wondering if anyone else has started plants in an area far from their house and what they did for water. I can hook a bunch of hoses together, there is a solution, but, I am thinking of the hose being a big pain when mowing the yard, just anyone have anything to share, or comment. I guess the hose can be moved in order to mow. I did it when I planted the trees there. I am likely being lazy. It will likely be something i'd need to do for a couple of years unless we get enough rain. Yeah, I am being lazy.