I also would like suggestions / recommendations

I have creeping jenny in my landscape. It's really serving a purpose, and I've been able to keep it under control. I added a pavestone retaining wall in 2005, and the jenny covers some "seams" where the pavestones stop and the deck landing begins. This seam is just downhill from my hose along a northeast exterior wall. There are large oak trees several yards to the north and east, meaning this area is often shaded and stays pretty wet.

Now that this proof of concept works, I'm thinking it would be a more interesting accent if I could replace the jenny with darker green/white variegated foliage. Can anyone recommend something like this? It should be viney enough to invade where I tell it to (hiding the stone seams), and survive in a moist shaded habitat. I live in Cincinnati, zone 7. The jenny works, but it's not very visually interesting.

Vinca?

I have listed a few. You will have to check them out to see if they are suitable for your needs.

Variegated or Green Pachysandra
Thorndale Baltic Ivy
Houttuynia
Ajuga Black Scallop is a particularly interesting one in my opinion but there are others
Lamium

I looked at some pics of your suggestions, thanks. I think I have that baltic ivy growing in the back from the edge of the woods, or maybe growing up some of the trees. It looks really familiar.

I took a closer look at one of my next door neighbor's plants today. Funny, I never noticed this plant until I had this idea about replacing the jenny. It looks really similar to what I have in mind, only the variegation is more of a yellow-ish cream than white. It looks like it grows just like the jenny too, and may be pachysandra. Tomorrow I'll ask him about it and snap a photo for a plant ID if he doesn't know what it is.

There is English Ivy. It will creep all over. And it climbs also.

I love lamium and it spreads quickly, although it can get a little tall.

All those groundcover species mentioned above are pretty aggressive invaders in the Ohio River valley. Use them with care.

Alternatively, you could choose from any number of more "visually interesting" perennials you could use, including the wonderful world of hostas. There are so many that you'll have a hard time whittling them down to your top 50. Big and small, white/gold/yellow/cream in variegations, etc. etc. etc.

None of them will climb, and I doubt that you'll even have an errant seedling. Think about this approach to your landscape conditions before stepping off the run-amok groundcover cliff.

This can be a bit invasive, but stays pretty all year, and grows in shade (lamium archangel). It does vine, more or less...
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/239872/

This message was edited Jun 26, 2010 6:36 AM