'Chocolate Chip' is a very compact, almost dwarf form and IME, is not a heavy bloomer. And because of its dark foliage color, it tends to disappear in a shady area. IMO, selections like 'Caitlin's Giant' and 'Jungle Bronze' or 'Jungle Green' will produce the best flower show with big flower spikes, but need enough sun to do so.

I like 'Burgundy Lace' (aka 'Burgundy Glow') around plants like hostas and ferns as the variegation sets off the coloring of these other plants nicely, the lighter foliage color shows up well in more shade and the foliage is attractive enough that sporadic flowering in more shade is not really an issue. All varieties prefer an organically rich soil and even moisture for best growth and will take a little time to establish well.

Sorry I don't know the name of ours: the foliage is bronze. I agree with GardenGal above that the tricky time with ajuga is when you just get it started - they look a bit peaked, but once they get going, they are great. So a little TLC at the beginning = a lot of reward later.

I am leaning toward the Bronze. I have decided that the chocolate chip is too compact for the effect I want, which is why the ivy worked there, as much as I hated it. However, if anyone has pics of a large swarth of the burganyd lace, I would like to see it. The back section of this area is getting a fair amount of sun; almost too much for my Hydrangea, and it will continue to do so for sometime to come as the tree I planted to replace the one we took down is very slow growing, and still small.

Based on a mention in Jeff Cox's "Perennial All-Stars," I am interested in the "Jungle Green" variety that GardenGal mentions above. My hope is that it isn't "just a ground cover" like most ajugas, but could actually stand on its own as an ornamental plant. Would appreciate comments from anyone who has it in their garden.

Also, I have not yet found it for sale anywhere. Can anyone recommend a nursery in central Indiana, or a mail-order source?

Thanks!