Question
The back yard of our house is heavily wooded. At the very rear we have built a deck with a swing with a rock walk leading to it. Our problem is that it,s so damp (actually wet)around the deck and never seems to dry out. I had visions of hostas and fern beds, but most of these have either died or just don't grow. The wettest part is around the deck area. Would bark chips just hold the moisture in?
I've considered rock with ivy growing over it although I have doubts about the ivy growing. We've cut the trees back as much as we can without actually taking them out. This back yard was a large reason why we decided on this house, we just didn't realize what a problem it would be. The property all slopes down to the deck, so I assume this is the reason the water gathers there.

Answer
Sharon,
I recommend bringing in some top soil and spreading it out to eliminate the deep sop. You will still have a slop,just not as steep. Then you could be some stones on the slope after you establish some grass.After that,planting Ivy would be a great choice between the rocks. It would cut down on erosion and water pooling. Onec you have grass established it should get a lot better.Make sure at the bottomof the slope you dig a deep trench so that the water has someplace to go.
Hope this is helpful to you.Good luck on your new home!