I've excerpted from my response to a recent post in this forum, because it might contain relevant info. (I can't comment on the New Zealand clover, but it sounds good to me.) Large, adjacent patches of these groundcovers (especially the Sweet Woodruff and Asarum) could be very attractive with a lot of visual interest. Unlike clover, they probably require a bit of attention to get started, but once established, they require little maintenance.

Lamium (dead nettle): does best in bright shade; likes a rich (fertile, humusy); prefers moist soil (will tolerate some dryness but will not flourish); pretty good at suppressing grasses once it fills in; handsome in flower (white or pink); deer resistant (deer-proof for me). Should be mostly "evergreen" for you in zone 7.

Gallium (sweet woodruff): same light and soil conditions as Lamium; beautiful in flower (late spring); dies back in winter, re-emerges in early spring; self-sows and will "pop up" and spread in places that it likes; can be mowed (but why?); grows thickly and competes well with tree roots; deer resistant (deer-proof for me; I love this stuff).

Asarum europaeum (European ginger): super attractive; a slow spreader but fills in densely; prefers partial to full shade and rich humusy soil, constantly moist (but not wet); grows so thick it suppresses just about everything; also check out the more readily available A. canadense (wild ginger). A.e. is evergreen and deer-resistant (although they nibble A.e. in winter, but it grows back just as densely come spring); A.c. is deciduous.

All like humusy moist soil that drains well; all are easy to divide for propagation (anytime during the growing season); all are hardy for you in NJ; all are suitable for light shade; all are attractive. Fertilizers are not necessary.

[Pics of Asarum and Gallium through Google images or at my site: follow the link on "my page" to Rhododendron garden for Asarum e. or Woodland garden for Sweet Woodruff.]