Dina,... I'm alittle confused by your question, do you want to keep the groundcovers or remove them? I don't see them as "competition" I see them as "companions". Any groundcover can become invasive - so can coneflowers, such as Rudbeckia "Goldsturm" which will readily self seed and spread underground. So it's really about management, remove what you want and replant what you like (within your available growth parameters of course). If you can spend the time to keep the groundcovers "pruned" and let them grow up to the dripline of the perennials you will have a nice weed barrier also.

Dear GardenShine,

Sorry for any confusion. I don't think I could ever completely remove the lily-of-the-valley - they're very well established. So, yes I'm looking for companions at the top of that bed (I included a picture that sort of shows where all the LOV are growing just beyond the bolder). I'd like to add those perennials I mentioned to the right of where the tulips are. I'm looking for summer height that will, as the list probably indicates, block the LOV as it starts to get wimpy in the summer.

Hope this helps,
Dina

Established LOV, in my experience, can certainly fill the soil with a dense collection of roots. But lots of things seem to be able to grow with it, particularly woody things like shrubs or tough and vigorous things like big hostas. In your situation I'd be inclined to dig out as much of it as you can in the area you want to plant the new things. That will give the new things a chance to get established before the LOV comes roaring back! If you're vigilant about removing pips that reappear, you can at least reduce the pressure of the competition so the new plants can get established. Fifteen years later I still find pips emerging from LOV we removed when we bought this place!

Thanks 'woody oak', a fellow Canadian, I see!

I plan to do almost exactly what you suggested, digging out as much as I can in that area (thinking a trench to Australia perhaps:)

In fact, I started the digging process last year & planted a Ruby Spice Summersweet & looking forward to see how it does…and you're right about the hostas-as you can see in a pic I took from the bottom shadier part of this large bed, I have 4 hostas doing just fine there nestled with some fall asters. It seems the creeping eunonymous which is just peeking at the bottom is the one thing that seems to repel the LOV -not sure what that's all about…

Thanks again for the advice!
-Dina

Perhaps Ligularias and Rogersias would work, they're pretty robust, Aconitums, Astrantia and Persicarias are some other choices. Do you like Thalictrums, for the lacey effect.

Annette

Hi Annette,

Thanks for the great suggestions.
I think I'll pass on Ligularia-I have tons!
I added an entire new bed just for them on the shady side of the garage this fall:) oh, and my prize trio of Rocket ligularia in the Rhododendron bed, etc.

Now Astrantias, and especially Persicarias/Rogersias -what a fabulous idea since I have one of each that desperately need division this spring! As for aconitums-I seem to kill them.

Your last suggestion is another great one! I'd originally planned on buying the variety Hewitt's Double for another garden bed & inherited some lilies from a neighbour so changed plans. I don't recall ever seeing them in person so I'm quite eager to see how they look for real..

Thanks!!!
-Dina

I, too, battled LOTV when I first moved here. My mother loved it; I did not. I spent a couple of years digging it out by hand until a neighbor came with his backhoe to do some landscaping for me. I asked him if he could dig the backhoe blade down about six inches into the soil and lift out the LOTV. He said, "Sure. Where do you want it?" I told him to dump it as far away as he could.

It's come back in subsequent years but I rip it out as soon as I see it. Yes it's an early bloomer; it's fragrant; the flowers are delicate & pretty. It's still invasive. I don't do invasives.

Despite the LOTV, in my shade garden hosta, heuchera, Solomon's seal, astilbe, Virginia bluebells, lady's mantle, Dicentra/bleeding heart, Carex/Japanese sedge, Hellebore/Lenten rose, Cimicifuga racemosa/black snakeroot & columbine have thrived for many seasons. While they thrive in shade, they are also adapted to part sun beds. Depending on your soil they may well do as well where you are. My own soil is slightly acidic sandy loam.

In my experience, delphiniums, coneflower, lupine, certain types of hardy geranium, & peonies need full sun in order to thrive. That assessment is based on my soil type + the amount of moisture my garden receives naturally as well as the exposure to sun. I don't provide supplemental water. I have both peony & coneflower plants that have returned season after season for 35+ years so I'd certainly consider them long-lived. My geranium 'Rozanne' is now nearly 10 years old and blooms from early spring until frost. G. 'Biokovo' doesn't have as long a bloom period as 'Rozanne' but I wouldn't be without it as an edger to garden paths.

I found delphinium, foxglove and lupines didn't reseed and were soon gone from the garden beds I designed but since I mulched heavily with bark mulch over corrugated cardboard, I'm sure it was my own fault. I simply preferred no reseeding over invasives/weeds.

(" Can you feel my pain?") Well, yes I can. My area of LOTV was very established to say the least. My DH and I dug an 18"x6" trench and filled it with cement on the left hand side. I knew it would not stop it but would slow it down.
I planted Lysimachia c. Firecracker to the left of the trench and thought that when the LOTV broke through the cement at least it would have a formidable opponent. Battle of the titans lol!
On the right side the LOTV began invading the hostas, NOT OK.
I do have beautiful loam so invasives can travel easily. I just make sure to keep them under control (Ajuga got out of control but it is easily dealt with)
LOTV is a thug and I have now dug it all out. I did a really thorough job but I will be surprised if there isn't some still lurking. My advice quite simply, get it out while you have a chance to.
Yes it is pretty in the early season, has a great scent but for me that just could not outweigh its invasiveness. Hard for me to say that since I like all plants. I might possibly find a really out of the way place for it that is totally away from all gardens.
This area is approx. 35'x12'

Almost finished digging. The stones lined up like a double pathway are placed that way to channel away the spring run-off to a drain. I finished the digging and planted this area in the fall of 2014.

This is what some of the roots of LOV looked like when we dug them out of the narrow bed along the garage in May. They were all jammed up together behind the metal root barrier at the edge of the bricks. Some of the LOV had went under the edge - but were getting mowed every time the grass path was mowed. Clearly they were densest just behind the barrier but it wasn't deep enough to stop them! I'm sure I'll be seeing lots returning this spring!
{{gwi:2120223}}

I LOVE all your support.
Unfortunately, Nova Scotia is being hit with its first real winter storm - I've been out shovelling three times (insanity!)

Boy, am I ever dreaming of gardening now!
Then again, you may all have to come dig me out of a snow bank come spring (I'll be sprouting along with the LOTV:):)

Cheers,
Dina

Dear Peren.all,

Cement….brilliant!!!!
Hmmmmmmm…..first, I'll dig that trench to Australia, then…

I'm seriously impressed, but also because of the spring runoff you mention - I'll have to show your photos to my husband to see what he thinks - we have sloping on the west side of the house (you can see the sloping in that first photo I posted-- the spring runoff seeped into a crack the first spring we were here. He dug down and repaired it, but I think at some point, we need to look at a longer term solution.

Do keep us updated on that battle of the Titans:)

Cheers,
Dina