New to gardening - groundcover help!

Hello - This is my first post to the site! I am new to gardening (although I have an expert mother!), and have been enthusiastically landscaping my new home. I am looking for a recommendation for a groundcover - perhaps a type of low-growing Juniper to cover a sandy spot in my back yard. We have a 1 foot drainage of protected wetlands that runs through the back of our yard - it's dry most of the time. Behind that drainage is a sandy 'triangle' shaped spot between my yard, my neighbor's yard, and a woody area. I'd like to plant something there that require little to no work, will grow somewhat quickly to cover the area, and will help protect it from erosion. I've looked at blue carpet and nana juniper - am I headed in the right direction? I prefer greens to blues. I am in zone 7B and weather conditions have been very dry.
Thank you!

Was it for a sunny or shady spot?
sedum would work for sunny. http://www.bluestoneperennials.com/b/bp/SEGTS.html
potentilla works for sun or shade http://www.bluestoneperennials.com/b/bp/PONES.html

I don't know if perennial peanuts grow in your area, but mine are great. I've had them 3 years, they have spread very fast, I can walk on them and they spring right back up, and I love the yellow flowers. In a freeze, they turn brown, but I don't have to do anything. In about 2 weeks, they are green again. I only have to trim them to keep them where I want them. When if rains, all the little yellow flowers stand straight up on their little white stalks. My Asian Jasmine, however, grows too tall, and I have to cut them shorter. Not so with perennial peanuts.

You may have to consider the deer if you have them. I too like flowerjen lean towards sedum - and the perennial peanuts sound perfect too - I would love to see an area full of them in bloom (any photos Ahudson?) but I fear the deer would not allow you to grow as groundcover. Have you thought about an area of tall grass? I have seen small 'islands' of grass here on areas similiar to what you describe. The areas usually border a lawn or a lawn and a mulched shrub area - the owners mow so that the grass is allowed to go about a foot or a little higher and it sits between curving paths --it is pretty neat. I'm not describing it well . Ornamental grasses would do well there I think if you get sun. What does your mom say?? I show my two children my garden and landscaped areas and they are not impressed at all --they would rather see me put a plate of pasta and meatballs or eggplant parm in front of them --Now that gets the interest and the kudos!

See my photo of the perennial peanuts. We have plenty of deer but none have eaten these plants.

Very nice groundcover. How do you avoid the deer ? It is grown as a animal forage to replace or supplement alfalfa.

Perhaps it is because I have planted the peanuts close to the house. Then I have a flower garden in the middle of the backyard, then some asian jasmine (which the rabbits sometimes eat), then acres and acres of woods. All I see the deer eat is leaves off of trees and weeds. No signs of them getting any closer to the house.