Wood chip or something else?

[FlamingoAndJohn]

I have an area at the bottom of the garden that I recently cleared. I’m planning to turn half into a seating area and plant up the other half.
The thing is it’s under loads of trees and ends up inches deep in leaves.
I want to put some kind of covering under the seating. I’m thinking wood chip but I wonder how it will cope with the leaves.

it will be harder to sweep up the leaves on top of woodchip, do you sweep the leaves into a pile and leave them to rot down for fertilizer. You would be better off with some nice paving slabs or nets under the trees to catch the leaves.

No chance of nets. It’s on the edge of a woodland. I’d add a picture but it won’t let me.

Oh. And no point in paving, there is a huge willow. There is a small paved area which has been completely pushed up by the roots.

what about seating around the tree with paving or bricks underneath. I will see if I can post a pic.

www.gardenoasis.co.uk/garden-furniture/timber-tree-seat?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI-bG_5rGi6AIVCLDtCh2rsAYBEAQYAiABEgKNQvD_BwE

maybe something like this

We have similar area and went with wood chip. Its a large area, about a third of the garden and in that area we have kids play equipment (trampoline, swing frame and rope swing from tree), some planted beds, plus a shed and a fire pit. It needs to be easy to maintain, free draining and look neat. We don’t sweep up the leaves but pick up any large piles to fill the leaf mulch bin when the trees have fully emptied. The rest seem to just disappear. In the spring once the bluebells die back (which grow through the wood chip but we like them) we will get in a few extra bags and fill in any areas that have thinned out that year. Find it very easy maintenance.

You wouldn't need to sweep up the leaves if you went for woodchip. The woodchip itself will slowly rot down, so decomposing leaves aren't going to be out of place. Then you've got more energy to clear leaves from places that matter - stone/gravel paths, lawns and ponds.

That’s what I was wondering, Mere.

This is the area at the moment.

Maybe put a brick or similar under each leg to stop things sinking into the ground, and then woodchip everywhere?

Flamingo, o yes, that looks exactly right for woodchip, doesn't it? Good idea to have stones under each leg, unless the soil is hard enough that the legs won't sink at all.