To help with the weeds I usually go for shredded bark mulch with an evergreen groundcover planted through it to fill in as the mulch breaks down.

Thanks! This is super helpful! I'm a novice (as you can tell) and was not even sure where to start!

mulch for weeds.. NEVER USE FABRIC ...

consider a veg garden ...

a few pix from different directions.. would sure help us.. give you more spcific ideas ... use the camera/photo icon below the box you type in.. to load pix right here ...

ken

Good idea, Ken. Will take some when I get home from work and post. Thanks so much!

A vegetable garden? Really? Probably the most maintenance-intensive of any gardening activity..........just saying ;-)

but also rather edible.. with babes around ...

and a very good way for a novice to learn gardening ...

lets see the pix .... ken

NHBabs, what evergreen groundcover do you suggest?

greenhearted, there are quite a number. Here are ones that work for me (acid, well-drained soil) some in shade and some in full sun, some in both. I'll just do a list and let you do some research as to what would be mostly likely to work where you are as far as light levels, hardiness, and soil pH and texture.

Geranium 'Biokovo', G. 'Wargrave's Pink', G. 'Karmina', G. 'St. Ola', which I think are all types of Geranium x cantabrigiense. I have two types and they turn a deep red in winter.

wooly thyme and variegated thyme

a range of Sedums such as 'Angelina' and 'Dragon's Blood'

Iberis sempervirens - the shorter forms are tidier IME

Cranberry doesn't need a bog, just average acid soil

Saxifrage if it's sunny - I don't know that all types are hardy or evergreen, and I am sorry that I've long since lost any memory of the particular variety I have.

Veronica 'Georgia Blue' sun or shade

European ginger/Asarum europaeum

Epimedium - some are evergreen, some aren't; some spread, some clump

Polygonatum humile/dwarf Solomon's seal I think is evergreen, but not sure. Good groundcover regardless

Mitchella repens/partridgeberry

Some types of Dianthus - My D. 'Greystone' is a lovely bluegreen groundcover that remains all winter

Some coral bells and foamy bells: Heuchera, Tiarella, and their cross, Heucherella. How evergreen they are varies some, and how good they look in winter also varies along with how well they spread.

Pachysandra, which includes a variegated choice, will spread, but isn't as rampant as the ones below in the list I mostly avoid.

There are a few low-growing evergreen shrubs such as bearberry, some of the cotoneasters, lower-growing heaths/Erica or heather/Calluna if you have acid soil, and conifers such as low-growing junipers or Microbiota decussata, though all of those are a bit taller.

I have learned to avoid aggressive groundcovers except in areas where they are well-contained. I hate having to remove aggressive plants from the lawn or other spots where I don't want it. You may find them useful depending on your circumstances: Vinca/periwinkle; Hedera/ivy; some kinds of Lamium; Ajuga has some rampant spreaders and some more well-behaved; sedge/Carex also vary lots, with only some evergreen and amount of spreading variable (I have C. 'Ice Dance' which spreads fairly vigorously).

Wow, thank you so much for taking the time to put that together! I find your posts so helpful and I am working towards a tree and shrub border like yours.

We do have different soil (neutral to alkaline, heavy clay) but interestingly I have many of the groundcovers you listed. I have observed in my own garden that the evergreen ground covers tend to hold their own and far fewer weeds can take root within, which makes sense since the ground is shaded throughout the year. I was curious what other ones might be out there that I haven't thought of.

I love my geraniums, I have 'Biokovo' but am going to check out the others you mentioned. I also have Geranium macrorrhizum but not sure if that one is evergreen. In any case, it really holds its own.

I find creeping thyme so pretty in winter (I have praecox); it is nearly purple. Being so low to the ground, it gets more weeds in it than some others but well worth growing for me.

Dianthus 'Greystone' looks lovely. I see that it is gratianopolitanus; I wonder if they are all evergreen.

I also have Veronica 'Waterperry Blue' and I just planted 'Tidal Pool' last year. Waterperry Blue turns a vivid red in fall but I don't think its evergreen.

European Ginger! Yes, that is one I need. I've heard it grows very slowly.

I have Lamium 'Pink Pewter' which is actually a bit shy in my neck of the woods. I wish it was a bit more vigorous.

I suspect at some point, I may regret the vinca minor 'Bowles' I planted in a neglected area where nothing else but weeds grew,,,

Mulch sounds like a good idea for the weeds, but no ground cover (especially not things like english ivy). A picture of the bed would be helpful, so we know what you have to work with so we can suggest plants.

I'd question the advice about no groundcover........the right evergreen groundcover is just as effective in retarding weed development as is a mulch. And English ivy in a New England planting can be very effective (and non-invasive in that area), although it is considered a prime habitat for rodents, so maybe not a great choice for an urban area like Brooklyn.

Most groundcovers prove to be a nuisance if you want something low maintenance. I'm not sure about english ivy's invasiveness but I do know that it will strangle every shrub that is planted (and nearby trees). I have never planted a groundcover because I have seen very few that I like. I think they look weedy, and unkempt and should only be planted in extremely informal settings (like on the edge of woods). There is one groundcover plant that I do like, and that would be running cedar (diphasiastrum digitatum) and I would still keep it confined to a container (I have tried to root cuttings, they all failed).

"Most groundcovers prove to be a nuisance." "I think they look weedy, and unkempt."

Logan, these statements illustrate your inexperience as a gardener. (I wouldn't worry about it except that I don't want inexperienced gardeners/new posters to take away the thought that they should never plant groundcovers, especially the original poster, AllisonDobson.) While Diphasiastrum digitatum is quite informal, best suited culturally and in design for an informal setting, and I would never plant ivy for a range of reasons, the vast majority of the groundcovers I listed are (both in the zone that Greenhearted and I share and in AllisonDobson's garden) tidy, slow-spreading, and highly ornamental. I have experience growing them and have seen them in other gardens. They share space well with taller plants such as shrubs and trees and even taller perennials and will do what AllisonDobson requested, make her garden more low maintenance. Take a few minutes and look up some of the ones I suggested before making such sweeping statements.

How formal groundcovers look depends on how they are planted and maintained. Well-edged, and planted in a formal shape they will look formal. Planted in looser drifts they look informal. As with all plants, it's a matter of right plant, right place and appropriate care. I would suggest that you spend some time reading the design forum here and visit blogs that deal with design (here's one that written by a Detroit area designer); you will want to focus on design principals rather than specific plants. Visit your public library and get out books on design, and visit demonstration gardens at nurseries or local botanical gardens and arboreta. Go on garden tours, private gardens that are open to the public. Look with an open mind; not everything will be to your taste, but there will be lessons for you to learn in virtually every garden you visit.

Yes, Logan needs to get out more and expand his horizons :-) A well selected evergreen groundcover is the ultimate in low maintenance gardening!! And just as suited to a more formal landscape as it is to a casual, more natural one. It is just a matter of selecting from among possibly hundreds of choices as to the application and the specific environment. Many will coexist beautifully with trees, shrubs and even perennials with minimal care.