I am now trying to complete a shade garden as a memorial garden that got started a few years ago and kind of left by the wayside.

My question is, I have heavy roots from a large fir tree runnning on top of the soil. Is it OK to cover the roots with heavy cardboard and then mulch with wood chips? This is the ground cover that I hope to use in this garden. The roots are a problem, but, I don't want to do anything that will kill the tree we have some puny ones that need to be removed and dead branches from lack of sun.

Any help will be appreciated. Thank you.