Hi editornj, Welcome to The Seed Exchange I thought you might like to know there is no email link on your member page, thus no way to email you. Please see addressing newbie and newer member issues-for instructions on getting your email link and location set up in your Member Page profile. hth... Happy Trading! Sue

it depends on the type of groundcover. Some are very aggressive and will spread rampantly - others are very tame :-) I can't see clearly what it is you are growing but most mat-like groundcovers are not the slightest bit aggressive. I wouldn't worry. They are also less effective at controlling weeds. And any groundcover will do nothing for the horsetails (which I don't see in your photos, btw). Nothing will stop them.

My experience in my NH garden: Niobe I tried at least twice from different vendors and in each case it limped along for 2 or 3 years before petering out. Definitely not happy in my garden. Rebecca was still going strong after perhaps 5 seasons when I moved. Gravetye Beauty got little attention, but thrived for more than 15 years and I hope that the new owners appreciate it. I did not have foliage issues, and the seedheads are beautiful and long-lasting. Avante Garde has cute little flowers with pink centers that hold on for more than a week after the red petals drop. It also did well for at least a dozen years, despite having to fight its way up through a vigorously suckering winterberry holly. Ville de Lyon is fairly widely avaialable, and is another one that lasted 15+ years for me, even in a site that did not have enough sun or any vole protection. I grew Carmensita in a place that was too shady and too sandy, and it was a nice flower, but I should give it another chance in a better site. I think it finally succumbed to voles one winter. Check out Allanah, which I haven’t grown but looks to have large red flowers. you may find it available because it is grown by Clearview which I think sells in Canada.

I agree with Ken, that trying to grow additional plants at the base of that hedge is going to be a challendge. I had a hedge like that and I can't imagine trying to grow something else there at the base of them. I would just weed, clean it up well and mulch it. It will look very neat and easy care. It also looks like you might have weed trees/shrubs coming up through them that need to be removed. It's hard to tell from a photo. Looks like the hedge is either privet or boxwood? And I see leaves that are definitely not either of those. Since you say you don't know plants, you might want to get a professional to look at the hedge or a friend who is a gardener and identify what is supposed to be there and what isn't. The best thing you can do, is learn about which plants the hedge is made of, find out what care they need and provide that. A well cared for, well pruned, mulched hedge is very attractive. I just went back and read your original post again and see you mention pipes discharging water there. That complicates things. Mulch may just wash out of there.