Hi, IÂm a beginner at gardening and need some help. I've recently moved out of home and into my grandparentÂs old place. While I love it here, it's been 5 long years since my Poppy lived here and in that time the garden has gone down hill. Over the last year I've managed to transform the garden a little bit, mulching areas and planting some easy care perennial flowers and tending to the neglected roses. I'm only renting so I try to keep things nice, but without digging into my budget too much.

Anyway one area has annoyed me since I moved here, out the front yard are two huge pine trees planted by poppy over 50 years ago. As you can imagine they are massive, I've asked every gardener I know and they don't know what would grow there. My parents say nothing has grown there for years. The trees are only two meters or so apart and their branches have intermingled, I'm told the soil is acidic because of said trees, coming into spring now I cant stand the thought of another year of brown mulch and pine 'leaves'. I also have another problem the soil is basically clay.... so any suggestions as to what I can plant under these beasts and what grows in shade with afternoon sun and acidic clay soil or how to improve the soil quality would be greatly appreciated. Ideally I want a ground cover and some flowering low to the ground plants in the area.

P.s. I live in Sydney and I planted some gazanias under them, which have survived but have not spread or thrived, I also planted some geraniums near by but they don't seem to be going very well either. In my mind I want a sort of cottage garden look where all you can see is green and flowers as the entire side of the house is basically a mulched bed mostly under these terrible trees.

Kind regards, and thanks in advance,

Brett.