What about dead nettle. They are fairly easy to grow (though not sure from seed) and comes in different colors.

Paul

vinca, asarum, hedera helix (english ivy)- try a golden variety such as buttercup or the hedera colchicum with huge shiny leaves, or even something like 'Manda's crested or bird's foot ivy.

all sounds good but the area is 560 square feet so i would really like to start seeds outdoors because of the expense of buying plants...and the time involved of propagating cuttings since i am trying to discourage weeds asap especially with the early warm weather.... which lets out lamium, ivy and vinca among others.

any ideas that i can sow??

You might want to check out the attached link. I'd pay close attention to the "important note" caveat at the beginning of the list. And you should also know that there is no such thing as a "completely maintenance-free" plant, groundcover or not, that isn't plastic :-)

Here is a link that might be useful: groundcovers from seed

I'd start with a heavy layer of mulch underlain by cardboard right now. Check with line trimming crews to see if they will dump their chips near your area needing weed prevention. Or some municipalities have mulch available that they have made from yard waste. No groundcover will prevent weeds for the first year at least. Once you have decided on your groundcover you can push aside the mulch and cardboard where you will be putting each plant.

In GardenGal's link, I know that ajuga is good at preventing weeds, at least around here.

If the expense of buying plants concerns you and you don't mind some labor, look in Craigslist or Freecycle for folks advertising groundcovers that they want to get rid of via dig-your-own. You can also post a wanted request there or here on GW in your area forum.

Another alternative is to look for nurseries that sell by the flat at a discount.

do understand two things ...

seed/seedlings will not be 'maintenance-completely-free' .. until they mature.. which might take a few years ... you are not going to scatter some seed.. and be done with it ...

and until they mature.. they will need PROPER WATER ... again.. going back to the dynamic that they will not be 'maintenance-completely-free '.. this year ...

if you understand that.. you will win .. if you dont take some kind of care of them.. it wont matter what you do ...

to put it another way.. whether a MATURE plant is maintenance-completely-free .. has really nothing to do with growing babes from seed ...

most good nurseries [not bigboxstore] ... have trays of groundcover ... which you can tease apart.. and plant to cover ground ... the added expense.. will cut down the time and effort needing to baby babies .. i understand budget is an issue.. but if you want it done.. it might be worth the additional cost.. to avoid failure ...

ken

i'm thinking trefoil... feedback?

Never seen or heard of Trefoil, but below is a link to the USDA about it. Mentions that crown rot is one of the primary cause of failure, so the site probably needs decent drainage.

Paul

Here is a link that might be useful: USDA article about Trefoil

How about soapwort (either Saponaria officinalis or Saponaria ocymoldes) They start easily from seed and will form a mat to choke out weeds.

The other one that comes to mind is brunnera (the standard green)

KimKa

Why am I getting the idea we are being kept in the dark about something major? Like this hedge is in the desert, and the real question is what isn't going to require continual watering.

If that's the case, then may I suggest gravel.

It isn't something any sane person would use around here, because our biggest maintenance problem is weeds. So what has been discussed here is the problem establishing a dense enough groundcover that weeds can't compete. In an area where small rodents go around deliberately planting aggressive tree seeds, this is a difficult problem. In areas where few plants can grow without irrigation, it's much easier.