Can Mypex be used in a country style border?

I want to create a country style border that includes plants like lavender, bleeding heart, crocosmia, astilbe, etc. I am considering using Mypex to reduce maintenance, but I am concerned that it may limit the plants' ability to spread and give overall coverage. Can Mypex be used in a country style border, or can you suggest an alternative method for reducing weeding during the initial establishment period, such as using mulch?

Ground cover materials like Mypex are useful under gravel, but they can accumulate debris and weeds on top when used with shrubs or mixed borders. Therefore, it would be best to use a mulch of bark, which can last for up to two years. By the time the plants are established, weed control can be carried out by hoeing or the use of carefully directed sprays of Roundup until the plants meet and enforce their own weed control. This method will provide better weed control and allow the plants to spread and give overall coverage, making it more suitable for a country style border with plants like lavender, bleeding heart, crocosmia, astilbe, etc.