I have these areas around the grass and in between the tree line that I'd like to fill with something that will look half way decent, grow and fill up the area quickly and help with the weed and unwanted growth that I get all year. Because the area is rather large, hoping it's a cost effective solution.

This area used to be a jungle when I removed all the brush and started grass a couple of years ago. Some of the brush is. Trying to grow here as well.
I'd like to avoid any herbicide so looking for alternative.

Picture is of only one side border- I have 2 sides to deal with. I'd say- each side is about 60ft

Any thoughts?

Bump

I'm sorry.. I wish I had something pretty and shade tolerant and zone appropriate.. but all I can think (if I am going to be kind) is Mulch.

But If I'm going to be the pusher man... you asked for it! Lol

You have a couple issues
Northern zone
Mature trees have dense roots and not a lot can compete
Shade
So, little soil, little sun, hard winters, short summers, yeah. Mulch.

You clearly did a ton of work. I've been "reclaiming" yard and I know how much work you did. The idea there is an inexpensive fast growing shade loving maintenance free .... pipe dream.
What I would do is landscape cloth and commit to long term project. rhododendron near/ in between trees and hortensia (hydrangeas) just a little bit further front. They will tolerate shade, harsh winters, live forever and grow bigger every year. Each year will be less work than the last.. in 5 years you'll be in really good shape for30 more.
Do research on rooting hydrangea, if you have friends w this bush. They grow very dense, keep the weeds out and are stunning from mid summer to early fall. They are pretty easy to root. If you take cuttings early, by the end of this summer you could be golden..

If there was something pretty and neat and inexpensive, i think it would be living there already and you wouldn't have broken your back to get it looking as good as you have.
Don't forget the landscape cloth and mulch, so weeds don't pop up the minute you turn your back,

What is the exposure? North, south, east west?
Any side with a southern exposure, You can try to plant annuals this year that might compete with the weeds..
morning glory(hot weather) or sweet pea (cool weather) are both fast growing vines that may help smother the weeds on the sunny side of the yard to sustain your gains. but it's not a long term solution, and you must cut everything down before the weeds go to seed

I am from your area and have a couple plantings along tree lines similar to you.
I use daffodils they make a nice row and multiply with out any help, look good in the spring are dense enough to keep other things away
Then in front of the daffs I plant hosta in the shady areas and daylilies in the sun these come up and cover the dying greens of the daffodils.

Ideally you might add a couple under-story shrubs / trees
My favorite are red-bud or dogwood trees and service berry bushes (amelanchier)

Then you can think what you want among the trees , in the wooded area
Like bluebells, woodland phlox...etc

Daffodils and daylily is a very good long term reliable team, since daffodils come early and day lilies are right behind them, they are durable and won't be as negatively affected by dense roots around then and they naturalize easily, but the south side of the yard ( where the trees are more south than the border, meaning your plants in the border will get the northern exposure side of the woods' dense shade), the day lily may not grow dense enough. And it will be very expensive to do that even for next year, and I know you want to avoid that.

For a shady side I love hortensia/ big leaf hydrangea and pachysandra They'll practically grow in the dark and grow dense enough to keep out weeds. It would be expensive to purchase them and do it all at once so they are not a solution for this summer, but if you have a friend with either, they both root readily under the right conditions. Anyone you know with established patches of either would let you take cuttings if you're into doing the work.
You know how much work it was to clear it, so this summer I think you need to try and sustain your gains with mulch and fast growers while you think about long term solutions

Turbosaurus, Gardengus.....
Thank you. You know the weirdest thing- I never saw these replies to my post until today. Garden.org website never flagged that there were responses to my thread.... today I went back on my old postings and randomly clicked on this, never thought there would be responses. I will look in to these hydrangeas you refer to.

In the mean time, someone gave us a Limelight which we planted in the middle of that area, but its quite shady now that leaves have come come back on all those trees.

Additionally, towards the front, the area gets enough sun- almost 6 hours. The area in front of the bottom left corner of the picture I have posted. There we planted a 6-ft tall sweetbay magnolia that someone was selling for cheap... hoping it grows. I love the smell of those flowers.

And lastly, I also noticed there is a small redbud growing in that same area- a few feat away from the planted Magnolia... I think I will have to move it to the back.... near the shady area but it may not grow there much.

I like the mulching idea- will do that this summer.

I believe you have to check notifications in your profile preferences to get notified of a post on your thread .


Well sounds like you have a start , keep us posted on your progress

If I may suggest some shorties that do well in 5b shade.

Deadnettle


Periwinkle


Both are in bloom now, if it's one or the other I find the deadnettle spreads faster and is better at choaking out weeds. If people have them they probably have extra, should be obtainable cheap or free.

I think the above ideas of shrubs and daffodils are good ones.

I will say, I believe if the 'brush' you have next door is honeysuckle, you are going to have a hard time fighting it without herbicide (or a lawnmower). Learning what the baby sprouts look like a diligently patrolling will be key.

I have a similar area, and I usually notice shoots when they already have woody growth and are over knee high. I snip them with shears, and paint the cut end with undiluted glyphosate. If you just snip them, they regrow like they didn't even notice, and digging out that many roots is serious work. I am not as worried about such a small application that doesn't drift onto other plays like a spray would. Good luck!

Are you planning to dig out enough grass to create your border planting? or were you hoping to push the woods even further back?

If the first.... we can probably help you... if you were hoping for something that would out compete the scrub growth in the trees... then... that would be a major undertaking.

I like the idea of planting some nice rhododendron...

And... take up additional grass in front of the shrub planting for a bulb bed...

Maybe a nice stand of blueberries as well?

And while we're discussing shade tolerant shrubs for indiana... I always did like the look of indian currant "buckbrush".
https://www.uaex.edu/yard-gard...

Other than what others have suggested above, I would like to suggest the following natives:
- Oakleaf hydrangea
- Wild ginger.
- Mayapple
- Virginia Bluebell
- Jack in the pulpit
- Trillium,
- Heuchera & Tellima grandiflora
- Tirella

woodland natives are touchy, and most are unlikely to fight it out successfully against invasive weeds like garlic mustard or honeysuckle without lots of maintenance.

Hydrangea & ginger maybe. Ginger is good and vigorous, but short. It may impede seed germination, but won't shade weeds out once they get going.

Mayapple, bluebell, jack in the pulpit, and trillium are all ephemerals, so will leave the area exposed and vulnerable for most of the year. They are better as additions to otherwise already functioning woodlands with established bushy understories than as pioneer species.

I don't have experience with wild heuchera or tiarella. Could be they just don't like the soil here.

Orange Jewelweed (Impatiens capensis) and Virginia Waterleaf (Hydrophyllum virginianum) are two of the more vigorous natives on my property. I'm still not sure I would recommend them in this situation, since they are hard to source and establish if they aren't already growing.

How about hardy Geraniums? There are some lovely varieties so you'd get different leaf shapes/colours and blooms. They are easy and reliable.