Beech tree in a border or in a lawn?

[Hedgyhoggy]

We have a beech tree that presently sits in the middle of a mixed border. But the plants under it are becoming increasingly leggy and are not thriving. I had thought of getting rid of the border and putting it down to lawn but I’m concerned about levels and how to keep it tidy where lawn and tree meet. Or, I get rid of the tree. It’s about 25ft tall and a nice shape but does block the view a little. Got lots of space to plant other trees outside of our formal lawn. Any thoughts?

Do you have any photos? I inherited a large deciduous tree in my garden. Instead of getting rid I removed lower branches and thinned to create a more pleasing shape, raising the canopy and allowing light in. It's 2/3 of the way down my SE facing garden so I still get lots of light on the rest of the garden and the kitchen.

This approach might depend on your aspect/ general garden design. There's a humongous beech tree near the boundary at the end of my garden and the leaf drop is insane in autumn! Do you struggle with similar? I don't really know the rate of beech tree growth, is it likely to grow to 40ft before you know it?

I'm also not sure about lawn under trees, I thought there was an issue with light/nutrients but don't quote me!

You can try plants with purple foliage-they require different bands of light and may thrive better.