Trifolium repens and T. pratense, (white and red clover) do well here, but my budget is limited. I've been saving
seed of the two varieties, and hope to grow my supply from there. I have 5lbs of vetch and the same of rye. The vetch supposedly lays in mats, unless it has something to support it.
I plan on doing 3 beds. One rye, one vetch, and one with both. I might try a few bulbs in the ones with rye, to test CurrentWave's theory. My main worry there is mowing the garlic along with the rye. I'll mostly plant them in the one with just vetch.
Don't forget, the rye is not just for ground cover. It makes a very tasty bread! I'm not too worried about the rye in the spring. Rye was cultivated long before the advent of the iron horse. I plan on mowing it after it goes to seed. That should kill it, or at least most. What ever is left I plan to keep mowed around my other plants. I'm not too worried about volunteers, because I'll just be planting it again in the fall anyway. I'm hoping that since the rye goes to seed before the vetch, I can mow both and be left with the vetch after harvesting the rye. Then I can harvest the vetch in summer. Then start the cycle over in the fall.