Ajuga reptans by seed?

Hey, everybody, I'm an amateur gardener, self-taught, in Shen Valley Virginia with clay soil. I'm kind of opportunistic (and shameless) so my plants are usually from seed or the gardens of friends and if its not a perennial I avoid it.

My current long-term (years and years) project is: a 15' high clearance deck facing east and frequently dry underneath but well sheltered in winter, summer midmorning sun 3-5 hours, deep shade otherwise.

Thyme and mint varieties have grown on the northern sunnier end aggressively but the plumber failed to tell me they would be going right through that garden last year . . . so I lost all my established herbs and grasses. I really miss the curry plant, so fragrant. The southern end is annually invaded by undesirable natives (Joe Pye, Bugle, sweet potato vine) and nothing I have tried to replace them with has taken off.

What I've tried: hosta, ferns, bulbs & rhizomes, azalea, perennial wildflowers, ground ivy, herbs, shade loving step-ables. Dry conditions are an issue; wildlife is prolific and anything edible has been "predated upon to extinction" as they say. Soil conditions - I've tried digging up 6 inches and mixing with mulch and starter soil, and also leaving it fallow for a year then turning over. pH is fairly neutral now.

Common bugleweed kept coming back now matter how much I happen to dislike it so in a vague imitation of nature I bought a tester plant of Ajuga reptans 'mahogany' and it is thriving! and I really like it! (how is it possible the two plants are related?)

Challenge: its almost 300sf and I can't afford shipped flat prices, local nurseries don't carry these varieties in flats.

I looked to buy seed but can't find mahogany anywhere; bronze beauty looks nice and has limited availability online but I have reservations about the sellers.

Are there any Ajuga lovers out there that can lend me advice on what I am taking on? Should I attempt growing this variety from seed since I have limited experience? Does anyone have a suggestion that may have nothing to do with Ajuga? I really want a 4-6" groundcover, no vines (stone walls) and dense, colorful foliage. Thoughts?

I am not sure if certain varieties of Ajuga are reproduced by seed. Might be cutting grown.

Idea 1:
Buy a mother plant of whatever size is available, take cuttings and grow them in flats or cell pacs, transplanting them into the area as they are ready. Keep the mother plant happy, healthy, growing so you get lots of cuttings. You might divide it into 2-4 mother plants.
When you are shopping for a mother plant, look really hard for one that is just the right color, leaf size, and so on. You want one that is growing really well, too. Not overgrown and root bound.
Monitor the cuttings you plant out, and when they want to lie down put a little pebble on the node so it will root again there. Then detach the rooted part and the original part will grow more branches.

Idea 2:
Do whatever weed control you need to, get the area good and clean, then mulch with a pretty thick layer of whatever plant based mulch you like. Bark, chips, shredded materials... This will discourage weeds, and whatever weeds do sprout will be growing in mulch for a while, so easier to pull. Don't let them get too big, though.
When you have enough plants (idea 1) clear the mulch back to expose the soil, plant the little plants, and put the mulch back perhaps only half as thick between the plants.

Idea 3: Spray the little plants with a deer-rabbit... repellent. Some plants are not very tasty to these critters when the plants are mature. But young, fast growing plants have not yet developed enough of the distasteful oils or whatever, so the deer etc. will eat the baby plants, or fast growing plants.

Idea 4:
If you want to keep the plants separated, then plant the Ajuga in the partially shaded areas, and see how well it does as it grows into the sunnier area. Also, keep your eye on the plants in the sunny area, and see how well they do as they move into the shaded area.
Find a line that the plants themselves tell you is there: The line where the Ajuga does better on one side, and the sun plants on the other. Mark this like with a row of rock, 4" - 6" stone. Then, when you are trimming or cleaning up the area trim the Ajuga to its side, and the sun plants to their side. If you are still in need of more plants then dig up any that are growing on the 'wrong' side of the line and plant them in the bare spots on the side where they 'belong'.

The common name of Ajuga is Bugleweed.
Since common names can apply to a wide range of related plants, I would not be surprised to find that the native(?) plant that you call Bugleweed is a different species of Ajuga, or closely related.

There are no native species of Ajuga. If you're curious about what you're referring to as "native bugle" (to explain how it is so different from the bugle you bought), please take pictures of it and post them to the Plant Identification forum.

Ajuga and Bugle are the same family, just a different type of flower and some slight difference in habit,colour etc.
The one known as Bugle named as Ajuga reptans, 'Atropurpurea' and originated from Europe, has Blue flowers with purple leaves, it likes a free draining soil but not left dry over long periods. there are also other ones from the same named variety that are quite new, 'Multicolr 'Rainbow' have Bronze, Pink Yellow, Variegata has greyish green leaves with pale yellow / cream variegation on the foliage.
All are really beautiful, they do look lovely when planted is swathes of 5-7-9 plants of the same colouration,
IF you plant these lovely ground covering plants, leave a distance of 12-14 inches spreading space between and until they all merge together, keep all weeds at bay.

Once these plants get going, there is no stopping them, every 4 years you will be separating them out IF given the right conditions.
I bought a couple of the Blue flower / purple foliage to plant beside my spring bulbs and before I knew it, I had to give some plants away after about 6 years, I then learned about the other coloured ones and these have given the look of rays of light with there lovely bright foliage colours. to be honest, the flowers are NOT important to me BUT they are a little bonus LOL.
I left my new purchased plants in pots,(Transfered to larger pot), left the plant to grow on then I got ladies hair clips (Like bent wire for holding long hair upwards LOL) and used these pins like staples to hold the growing stems down against the soil, within a couple of months I had a dozen baby plants, I then left these attached to parent all winter, then in early spring I cut the baby free, potted them up for several months before setting them outside. IF your soil is too damp, add some fine grit to help with drainage, the parent plants still went on to have more babies by the same method.
2 years later the ones planted out had doubled in size.

Hope this gives you some ideas and confidence to propagate more plants and soon go onto propagate other plants, it becomes addictive LOL.
Enjoy and have some fun.
Kindest Regards. WeeNel.