@Hembrain well now when you said violets inside the daylilies, I know you know what I am talking about. My place is out of town and sat empty for years before we bought it and before that it was a rental for some time and the yard has never been cared for. There is no 'lawn', it is just one weed or the other and the grass we do have is bermuda. I hate it, the roots are hard like wood, break off if you try to pull them, they are invasive like crazy and I have not found a way to be rid of it. I have quack grass, and goose grass and I battle white clover something fierce. Even a tiny piece grows right back. I have all but given up on my iris as the weeds are so bad, I have to dig up the iris to get the weeds out of between it, and then by the time it is established enough to bloom again, the weeds are thick, I just can't keep them up it is so bad. I do use preen but find it has no effect really on violets or some of the other weeds, I suspect of course the grasses and clover are not sprouting as seeds, but rather are roots always established. I have to admit that the beds with thicker plantings do have less weeds, but so hard to keep it up if you are starting out with new baby plants. Starting anything from seed is entirely laughable, you'll see it
Anything from seed has to be started in a cup and transplanted out later. Now I do have a few raised beds and seeds start better there for me. I have never used mulch as in wood chips because it draws termites so bad, serious issues here w that, and also they tend to wash/float away in our heavy rains, they get over the crowns or smother my iris and then the daylilies rot if I don't' go out there and tediously rake back each one trying not to damage it.
