Thanks all, I am looking to fill in basically the areas that are on the slopes, that currently grass is growing into as a place holder until I can get the beds set up. See bottom picture, anything shaded is what will have Perennials. I am starting to collect Milk Jugs now. What is the best time to start, before the first frost or after? I know I'm going to have some deer and rabbit pressure, but I have neighbors with perennials, and I'm hoping "natives" will be a little bit more resistant. You can see the progress since last November, I've pulled out most of the old shrubs and planted a new lawn, put in sprinklers, and next spring we'll put in perennial beds and a few raised beds as well. http://18buckinghamplace.com/ width="800" height="600">

Spraying poplar suckers has potential to damage the parent tree. Fine mulch is ideal for getting lots of new little plants coming up, as mentioned. Paper mulch is best for smothering weeds in an area that is going to be made into a bed later, rather than as a routine maintenance tool. You put down a thick layer and get it wet, keep it wet. Also a decorative mulch may be put over the newspaper layer, if desired. Coarser mulch such as clean arborist wood chips or purchased play chips is the most effective, however as has been pointed out in response to one of my posts on this site there can be issues with smothering when such materials are used near herbaceous plants. Even when applied some distance back chips may often migrate and get on top of perennials. Really if you are going to have flower plantings of much size and scope you can expect to be out there hand weeding etc. as a matter of course. If working among your flowers like this is more a vexation than a relaxation then consider making some changes. One way to include herbaceous plants in a home landscape without the upkeep being too much is to have one small or smallish area where these are planted, with the rest in lawn and woody plants (mulched with wood chips). This post was edited by bboy on Mon, Aug 18, 14 at 15:14

All done - long day, but fun. Thankfully good weather, but I think we had a lot of competition for other things going on.

Im a big legume fan lol. I have Lupinus perennis Baptisia australis And this year I started from seed: Astragalus canadensis, Senna hebecarpa, Desmodium canadense, Dalea purpurea, and Lespedeza violacea, and I tried to get veiny pea Lathyrus venosus going but it didnt survive the spring. I have a seed packet of partidge pea but didnt try them yet. These are mainly intended as filler plants to improve the soil and sprawl between other perennials to take up space that would otherwise be invaded by weeds, but I do love the leaf shape and flowers on most of then.