I have a similar problem, and I dont like grass, so here is my low maintenance front
yard
http://weloveteaching.com/landscape/...7-22-2005d.jpg
on the other side is worse AND we had a cement walk that was uneven and people were
tripping, so I built the boxes. BUT, a raised garden along the lot line would divide
there weeds from your plants too.
http://weloveteaching.com/landscape/.../fyplanter.htm

OTOH, if you really like the ivy you also have the option of doing a couple good
weedings and then using pre-emergent weed killer, like preen which will stop seeds
from germinating. put it on right after weeding to suppress weed seeds. most
"weeds" propagate by seed, the "runner" kinds like grass can be controlled by driving
a wide metal or plastic band down between the yards. Ingrid

"axemanchris" wrote:
I live in a Zone 5 urban area. My house faces the east and my front yard
receives a great deal of sun. The yard is quite small 25' wide x 15' deep
(at the deepest). It is also elevated above the sidewalk and banded by a
stone retaining wall. Because it is sloped we decided not to have grass in
this area - it is too difficult to mow. We have planted some English ivy
which is doing well. Our biggest problem is our neighbours. We have the
misfortune of living beside people who never ever weed. Their front yard is
an overgrown disaster and unfortunately all their weeds make their way to
our house. Our ivy has grass, dandelions and all sorts of other invasive
and pernicous weeds growing up through it. It is a mess. I want my home to
look nice and am finding it harder and harder to keep up with the influx of
weeds. It's very difficult to remove them from the ivy. Should we rip out
the ivy and try something else? I do have quite a number of rocks at my
disposal and could create an alpine or rockery type of garden if this might
be easier to maintain. Are perennials a good way to go or should we put in
lots of annuals every year? I'm reluctant to spend too much on this area
because we are moving in a year or two. I want the area to have great "curb
appeal" when we sell, but don't have a ton of money to invest in perennials.
Any and all suggestions are welcome!

Jacqui




~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List at
http://weloveteaching.com/puregold/
sign up: http://groups.google.com/groups/dir?...s=Group+lookup
www.drsolo.com
Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I receive no compensation for running the Puregold list or Puregold website.
I do not run nor receive any money from the ads at the old Puregold site.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Zone 5 next to Lake Michigan

My front yard is a patchwork of different groundcovers and other dwart
plants with narrow pathways throughout. I keep the colors in the
white/blue/purple/glaucous range as a uniting theme. It's fun to plant
different things that bloom at different times. My garden is rarely without
flowers. Some of my favorite plants:

lamb's ear
dwarf geraniums
heucheras
plumbago
lamium
sweet woodruff
creeping thyme
sedums ("Vera Jameson" is a fave)
super dwarf veronicas (e.g., "Waterperry")
hens & chicks
dwarf pinks (e.g., Cheddar Pinks)
Iceplant (but rarely overwinters here)
Aubrieta
snow-in-summer
creeping baby's breath
saponaria
dwarf grasses & sedges (e.g. "Elijah Blue")
many others I can't think of right now....


"axemanchris" wrote in message
...
I live in a Zone 5 urban area. My house faces the east and my front yard
receives a great deal of sun. The yard is quite small 25' wide x 15' deep
(at the deepest). It is also elevated above the sidewalk and banded by a
stone retaining wall. Because it is sloped we decided not to have grass
in
this area - it is too difficult to mow. We have planted some English ivy
which is doing well. Our biggest problem is our neighbours. We have the
misfortune of living beside people who never ever weed. Their front yard
is
an overgrown disaster and unfortunately all their weeds make their way to
our house. Our ivy has grass, dandelions and all sorts of other invasive
and pernicous weeds growing up through it. It is a mess. I want my home
to
look nice and am finding it harder and harder to keep up with the influx
of
weeds. It's very difficult to remove them from the ivy. Should we rip
out
the ivy and try something else? I do have quite a number of rocks at my
disposal and could create an alpine or rockery type of garden if this
might
be easier to maintain. Are perennials a good way to go or should we put
in
lots of annuals every year? I'm reluctant to spend too much on this area
because we are moving in a year or two. I want the area to have great
"curb
appeal" when we sell, but don't have a ton of money to invest in
perennials.
Any and all suggestions are welcome!

Jacqui

I live in a Zone 5 urban area. My house faces the east and my front yard
receives a great deal of sun. The yard is quite small 25' wide x 15' deep
(at the deepest). It is also elevated above the sidewalk and banded by a
stone retaining wall. Because it is sloped we decided not to have grass in
this area - it is too difficult to mow. We have planted some English ivy
which is doing well. Our biggest problem is our neighbours. We have the
misfortune of living beside people who never ever weed. Their front yard is
an overgrown disaster and unfortunately all their weeds make their way to
our house. Our ivy has grass, dandelions and all sorts of other invasive
and pernicous weeds growing up through it. It is a mess. I want my home to
look nice and am finding it harder and harder to keep up with the influx of
weeds. It's very difficult to remove them from the ivy. Should we rip out
the ivy and try something else? I do have quite a number of rocks at my
disposal and could create an alpine or rockery type of garden if this might
be easier to maintain. Are perennials a good way to go or should we put in
lots of annuals every year? I'm reluctant to spend too much on this area
because we are moving in a year or two. I want the area to have great "curb
appeal" when we sell, but don't have a ton of money to invest in perennials.
Any and all suggestions are welcome!

Jacqui