FYI, woody plants aren't always the answer. As someone who spent 5 years in Environmental Design, Land Arch for the uninformed, the most pleasing aspect of any landscape is uniformity. Ground covers with small trees and perennials interspersed is not harsh on the eye, but rather soothing, and there is nothing more disturbing then plants that are shaped, except in formal gardens. Read some info on Thomas Church's approach and certainly don't take a foresters "expert" opinion on anything to do around the home because they work in forests not in suburbia. When I did design build I knew I had become successful when "landscapers" started implimenting my designs, which always fell short, because they were clueless about what I was attempting to accomplish since each property has its own personality.
If you want to learn how to propagate groundcovers to increase your landscape, from the USA go to http://propagatingperennials.blogspot.com. It ain't rocket science.