Ooh, this is kind of a toughie! I like so many different groundcovers!

But I think the one I like the most (and the one that likes me the most, lol, and does best for me) is creeping sedum. I have a couple different varieties in my garden.

Creeping sedum does well in very poor soil, is practically no-maintenance, spreads nicely but not invasively, is so easy to propagate, has (IMO) beautiful foliage, and has nice winter color. What's not to love?

I also love lamium and creeping phlox, but they don't like me, lol! So I've gotta go with sedum!

:)
Dee

Lots of perennials & woody plants. I beleive liriope would do well in your zone as would Blue Pacific Juniper, Euonymous "Emerald Gaeity" and Cotonester "Rockspray" and they will all give you contrast throughout the seasons. BP juniper is a great grower with a blue/green sheen year-round, euonymous has green/white leaves year round and cotoneaster is semi-evergreen with bright red berries in the fall. Liriope Muscari, "Variagta" has green/yellow leaves year round. 99% of perennials die back in the winter so you are seeing a bleak garden bed for 4-6 months.

Here is a link that might be useful: Propagating Perennials

Hmmm...That is tough. I would have to say Lamium. I have Aureum and Pink Chablis, a beautiful silver color. Well lets say HAD, lots of plants had to be left at my old house. I will be doing lots of plant shopping this summer! They are very tough and easy to grow, and blooms all season, even in December! 2nd would be Ajuga. I know it can be aggressive, but planted in the right area w/all those nice colors, it really fills in nicely.

Jen

Not that I know a lot about different varieties of groundcovers, but I can speak for pachysandra - I love them. They grow well in shade or sun, stay green all winter, they are an excellent groundcover, not high maintenance but aesthetically pleasing. And, as far as I know, they are the only thing that will successfully grow underneath a pine. They spread by the root, and will fill in and grow lush within a few years. Just add a little mulch, keep the soil moist and that's it. Just a little pruning to keep them looking trim, and you have a wonderful groundcover.

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Right now, it's my Veronica! Perky little blue blooms on a nice green plant here at the end of winter. I also love Ajuga (mine is one of the ones w/ purplish leaves) and lamium- both trouble free. Brandy

There's this old house for sale down the street that has a whole side filled in with japanese spurge right down to the ditch so I stopped today and pulled a bag of it out of the ditch and planted it over on my south wall where the hose is at. Was wondering if it was going to make it in the full sun but brandyray says it will so that'll be great. Thanks!

Coyle...you seem like my kind of garden lover! HA! I googled japanese spurge and come to find out it is the same groundcover that kimcoco has wrote about and posted a picture of calling it pachysandra. I'm wondering if it's deer resistant? Anyone know....? Would anyone be interested in a trade for some. Would love to get some in my garden as it looks great!

Pam

Lamium is a weed here! It's all over my yard. But I will admit it's one of the prettier weeds!

I am also looking for a good groundcover, something that will be around all year long (and flowers at some point would be nice). I have a slope behind one of my gardens that I *thought* I planted creeping juniper on...but it turns out the clearance bin lied and they're really Heathers. So now I need something for between the Heathers since it's a big pain to mow there where the grass does decide to grow. Pic of the area below...

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Pam:
The deer eat many plants in my gardens but have never touched the pachysandra. However, deer are known to have different tastes in different regions so ask a neighbor if you spot it in your area. Nancy

For Shade. Epimediums and Asarum Europaeum. The Epimediums look so bad, by February, that I spend the half hour needed to string trim mine all down. That leaves room for the new foliage and neat flowers. They actually win territory, very slowly, from the periwinkle.
The european ginger is evergreen and usually looks good, but cannot take full sun.
For sun, the creeping cotoneasters and junipers.

Fragaria chiloensis - Beach strawberry.

Nice foliage, spreads widely, drought tolerant, white flowers, easily propagated, low-growing, cascades down containers or raised beds (if given the chance), tolerant of sun and some shade, evergreen (in my zone) . . .

Every ground cover I have I spend time pulling up, spraying or digging up, to keep any of it from owning a space - I can't stand the feeling that something is taking over, like english ivy... the following are some of what I have and love.

Veronica, Georgia Blue - light and airy growth when it's in bloom and the blue flowers are delicate. I have it growing around and through some green and white euyonomous.

creeping Sedum, the variety that looks like blue spruce. It's soooo elegant. I grow it around my blue colored evergreen shrubs.

I have a periwinkle that has green and white leaves and larger, deeper purple flower.

Sweet Woodruff is nice under my rhodies and among my lady's mantle.

I love Creeping Jenny's chartreuse color, but it goes mad.

Also, Choc Chip ajuga is beauuuuutiful in bloom, and sea thrift, and cheddar pink dianthus are lovely groundcover.

I like using clematis to creep on ground, too.

also, some of the shorter hosta actually perform like ground cover among some shrubs. I have white delaware azaleas, and between them I have bright lime green hosta... wow.

I love portulaca which requires full sun, seeds down but considered an annual, lots of colours of flowers throughout the entire season, drought resistant. It is fantastic in containers too, it trails out the sides.