if that creeping buttercup is the one with kinda watercress-looking leaves, I'd avoid it like the plague- it not only reseeds, it spreads by rootlets, and it's becoming a huge problems in soggy old PA- stealing space from the trout lilies and 'quaker lady' wildflowers that only grow here.

and the english ivy is just plain invasive and strangles everything in its path- it's one of the few things that will out-compete morning glories!

reseeding though finely ground mulch isn't all that much of a problem. it's the wood chips that mess that up, really (remember, most of these plants formed colonies of their own without human help)

the forget me nots will do just fine- they're popping up not just in my boss's bed, but in her lawn as well. the Thymes come back just fine, too. I've seen SOME people have their alyssum come back, some people don't...I have a taller yellow variety, and it was darned near evergreen this winter.

and I totally don't get what you mean by an 'awful looking bed in winter'...that seems like an odd thing.

I just meant that if *everything* died to the ground in winter, leaving bear dirt, it would look bad. I mean compared to other beds that may have mulch or at least some plants that make it through winter.

I know that some of the plants I have are invasive. I've got a lot of slopes and a little money and it's what I've got to start with. "Make do with what you've got" right??? Luckily, I like these plants enough (for now) to put up with them.

We won't be using fine ground mulch (not my choice). That's why I'm assuming the annuals won't reseed through it. I just wondered how hard it would be to get the annuals to reseed through a groundcover...or how much work it would require.

THanks for your help,
Heather

Hi Heather,

If you're looking for an annual that will reseed anywhere and through anything, try California Poppies (Eschscholzia). Last year I had a couple growing in a pot sitting on top of bark mulch over landscape fabric, and this year they're coming up on top of/through the landscape fabric. They'll reseed through just about any kind of mulch or groundcovers that I can think of, and every year you'll have more! If you're not enamored with the standard yellow-orange, there are several other mixes available. Look for 'Thai Silk' which is a mix of wonderful jewel-tone colors.

Good luck,
Skybird