i've got a similiar situation in a corner of my garden. i tried ferns they didn't make it. the bleeding heart did, hosta seem to do alright, solomon seal does well for me, hardy geraniums, such as johnson's blue, wargrave pink, splish splash, there's alot of them. coral bells did well up until last year.i've even grown coreopsus (s?)tick seed. most garden books have a dry shade section. experiment its half the fun.. hope that helps alittle....mark

Birch trees will suck the earth dry wherever it's roots can reach out to. Suggestions then would be to concentrate on dry gardens and use plants like masses of wild flower blooms including echinacea. As for tips on bargains? Start with seeds.

Bleeding hearts, ferns and solomon seal enjoy a wet garden. these are not good choices in that spot.

A friend of mine has a huge birch tree in her yard and the same thing happened. In her case though, she had a bed set up several feet away from the tree and although the place was still a bit dry, it wasn't too dry that it could sustain plants like hostas, irises (and masses of irises), and yuccas (which I don't recommend as it is difficult to remove and it spreads).

Also watch that you don't do too much to disturb your birches should you want them to remain. They have a shallow root system, and although they may not show signs of stress immediately if you mess around with the ground under their canopy, in a few short years they will start declining.

I have a white paper birch which I absolutely love and no one is allowed to garden around it - not even me!

I have ground cover (periwinkle), anenome, some irises, astilbe, and lamb's ears under mine. Everything does very well.

Trees will also suck all the nutrients from the ground. To maintain a bed under at tree for very long, you have to water and feed it regularly, more often than the rest of your flower beds.