Need suggestions

I've been collecting rhizomes since last fall. I potted some and others have been 'growing' in grocery bags. I hadn't planted any in the ground as I've been waiting for the City of Dallas to repave my sidewalk. This, in turn, will remove sod from the parkway and that's where I plan to plant all those rhizomes. Someone from the City was here yesterday and said that my sidewalk will be repaved either the end of this week or next. This means I've got to hustle.

Here's where I need some suggestions. I know that I can (and will) use mulch to cover bare spots but does anyone have any thoughts on groundcovers that might work? I have a feeling that any groundcover would ultimately become too invasive but (gasp) I've been wrong before.

I live in Dallas and it's Zone 8a. Suggestions for groundcovers or small companion plants would be welcome. Thanks!

I am in zone 7B which is not much cooler. My son uses Spring Rock Flowers-aka- Creeping Phlox in front of iris clumps. These rock flower phlox usually start blooming in southern zones like ours with the white albicans cemetery iris which are EE bloomers, and peak when all the Early Season to Mid Season Irises are blooming and stop blooming right about the time our red and pink Indian Chief iris open.. which are mid to late season bloomers . The varieties we have are: Fort hill, which is the light pink..Emerald cushion blue..which is blue-purple..Emerald blue which is pale blue..and Red wings which is darker pink almost magenta. we bought the half gallon pot ones..which were a bit smaller and cheaper than the gallon ones and planted more than one color variety six to eight inches apart from each other infront of each iris clump, which will spread infront of each of these iris clumps of iris pallida we planted across our front yard in 2008 of ones we culled out from our hill that were their when we moved in in 2006. It's now like a rainbow infront and pretty easy to mow, actually easier because we planted these iris clumps and phlox where big tree roots were to mark them as we were tired of hitting them with the mower. It also keeps the iris from spreading forward and in 6+ years it hasn't gotten out of control, the phlox maybe doubled the size of when we planted them...and thats it.

This message was edited Mar 18, 2014 8:58 PM

Wow! It does sound like you have a rainbow. I have a lot of NOIDs plus the old 'one or two of this and one or two of that'. Should be interesting. I do know I have some Bell Bottom Blues b/c every time I see the label I start singing the old Eric Clapton song of that name. And I have a few each of Superstition, Buffalo Gap, Come'n'Gettit, Bragging Rights, Eleanor Roosevelts, Plum Tuckered Out, TN Gentleman, Tangerine Principles. Plus I got some pink ones last fall from a Round Up we had in our area. I had only one little rhizome called Undying Love but a squirrel knocked it out of the pot I had it in and so far I haven't found it. I'd be kinda surprised if anything blooms this year, but you never know.

Could you be anymore specific about the type of phlox you've been using? Sounds like it's been doing well for you.

http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/81027/ 'Fort hill'
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/92648/ 'Emerald Blue'
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/92647/ 'Red wings'