Hey Pudge, I think goutweed would be fine there. I know some people revile it but my new yard has a giant mass planting of it under two big basswood trees and I think it looks pretty nice. (For an area I didn't want to garden in anyway - it's in the dogs' portion of the backyard). I have the variegated kind, it's a little fancier. I don't know if it would choke out tulips and alliums though. There are peonies growing in mine but I don't know how long they have been there or even what kind they are, as I wasn't here last spring. There are also nettles and some strange weed that looks like oak leaves.

Let us know what you decide to do. (I thought the before picture looked pretty nice BTW, but I see your point about the seeds)

Just a thought, if you don't do goutweed, Solomon's Seal might be nice too.

Not much help,... I don't grow any but mass plantings would be fine I think.
They would grow under the rocks and need to be sprayed dead ones in a while.

Here some more info.on goutweed.

Here is a link that might be useful: Goutweed

"Anyone have other ideas for me?"

How about a pond?? I can envision a little pond there with a fountain. But that's just me.;^)

I also have a mass planting of goutweed, which I do like. But from what I've seen it can really choke out anything. I've got tulips in with it, but they are slowly decreasing every spring, so you'd have to replenish them every few years. Probably the same with the alliums. I've got a virginia creeper in with it, and it's pretty small compared to other virginia creepers that I've seen that are 7 years old. This past summer I rescued a siberian iris out of the goutweed roots that just never increased at all in the 4 years it was in there. Same with the peonies and bearded iris that are in there, they're all very stunted.

Ok, I realize that ponds aren't for everyone. How about a tough vine, like virginia creeper or a grapevine? You could put in something for it to ramble over, like an obelisk or rocks. Maybe lily of the valley? Maybe somebody else can recommend some other bullet proof perennials. Did the goutweed beds that you saw in Regina have other plants growing up through it? Maybe something with a tap root that would grow down deeper than the goutweed roots? I know gas plants have a tap root. Doesn't globe thistle and lupins?

I just think that if you have your heart set on plants growing happily in amongst the goutweed, you may be disappointed after a few years like I was. Don't get me wrong, I still like my bed, but it didn't end up looking like I had envisioned it would. Instead of big healthy plants growing inside it, I've got a nice antique plough with an old cream can filled with annuals to give it some interest.

I had a similar area where after come construction nothing would grow. I planted geranium macrorrhizum Ingwersen's Variety and it has done very well. It has filled out but not pushed out into other areas. In addition to being a good ground cover there are the flowers in the spring and a magnificent display of color in the fall. I also enjoy the scent although some donÂt.
Leo

Thanks, everyone, for your comments and suggestions. At least no one is referring to it as the devil plant from hell ...

I spoke with a friend today who also has some (variegated variety) in her garden. She manages to keep it in check and contained to just where she wants it to grow and also thinks it might be a good candidate for this area of mine. She, too, questions whether it will eventually choke out the bulbs.

I only grew Goutweed once before while living in Ottawa. Off and to the side of the back steps there was a horrid little area where the air conditioner sat. It got spillage from the rain barrel, there was gravel and yucky soil - basically just a mess. So I planted goutweed and it did a pretty nice job - certainly better than the weeds and long grass that were there prior to that. Now, I don't know if the next owners battled it and cursed me for planting it (as I had cursed the previous owners for planting mint), as a couple or so years later we moved on.

I agree, Sharon, a pond would probably look terrific there but yeah, that's not gonna happen. I imagine the giant messy old Manitoba Maple that overhangs the other side would have a hayday dropping stuff in there. I'm definitely looking for less maintenance than more for this area.

If the Miss Kim Lilac grows well in there (planted just in front of that corner), that should provide a bit of height. But if not, an obelisk or some such object would be a good idea . I never thought of that, so thanks for the idea (hey, maybe that's where we can put an Inukshuk - I've been wondering where we could erect one).

The plantings I saw in Regina were just Goutweed and evergreens - very full looking but well tended and neat looking and under the canopy of some big deciduous trees (probably elms but I don't recall exactly). I don't know if there were other plants, earlier blooming, that the Goutweed was covering up. I'll have to make a point of driving by again in spring to see how it looks.

Gillian, I'm really looking forward to seeing more pictures of your new yard as it makes its way thru spring and summer. So far I haven't been all that thrilled with the couple Solomon's Seal I planted in another area, but I do have some wild stuff growing in the most inhospitable spot (the deepest, driest shade in the bed above) that seems to be holding its own. I put some Lily of the Valley in with it last year as well - we'll see if a battle ensues.

I'll still think about this a while. Within probably 5 years it will be more heavily shaded as the willow tree grows and spreads, so perhaps allium and tulips eventually won't even really be an option.

Thanks again everyone - if any more ideas come to mind, be sure to shout out.

I like mass plantings of varigated goutweed too. If it's in a confined space why not go for it.

I've seen goutweed in a flowerbed and it had a blue/purple perennial coming up thru it. I think it was Aconitum. The contrast between the two plant colours was awesome. I've also seen it, the plain green variety, planted around a white birch. That to was very nice. Since goutweed is invasive, I also wondered how they kept it in check. The one around the tree could be mowed around, I didn't check because it was on someone elses lawn, but the one in the flowerbed? Maybe they put some of that plastic edging around it and sank it deeper. Marric

Interesting - in Vermont it is illegal to sell goutweed! The variegated is not quite as invasive as the all green. Mine did grow into the grass :-(

I think I will go for it. The soil in this bed is so heavy that I'm sure it will take a while before the goutweed fills in - by that time the tulips will probably need to be removed and I'll just wait and see how the allium fairs. My friend will give me everything she shovel prunes out of her garden - looks like I'm good to go.