In the garden and around the house, I try to be quite practical and pragmatic. It may be beautiful, but preferably also edible. The maple in the front yard I have given to a lover (although the leaves can be fried) to put a beautiful flowering cherry tree in place. I've no regrets of this yet.
Ornamental shrubs have largely been replaced by a Amelanchier, low stem cherry tree, thornless blackberries and gooseberries.

Lavender can stay. I also have some tansy put between. Part of the pachysandra is replaced by clover (also edible and used in Ireland in bread), but that does not remain with green leaves all year, so get there other weeds. And a part of the periwinkle has been replaced by wild strawberries. In between I plant every year some sunflower and maize. All useful and / or edible.

Examples of other edible nearly perennial  or self-sowing plants are:
Anthemis arvensis (Chamomile)
Bellis Perennis (Daisy)
Borago officinalis (Borage)
Calendula (Marigold)
Hemerocallis (Daylily)
Monarda didyma (bergamot)
Stellaria media (chickweed)
Tagetes (tenuifolia 'Lemon Gem' (Tagetes)
Taraxacum officinale (Dandelion)
Tropaeolum majus (Nasturtium, Indian cress)
Viola odorata (Sweet violet)

Interesting groundcovers that produce something edible are purslane, parsley, potatoes ... but remain just as clover that is not permanent covering the soil to prevent the (many) advocating other plants.
Good ground cover protects the soil as much as possible against heat, sunlight, wind, heavy rain, cold and weeds. They prevent erosion and drying out of the soil and keep the soil and life therein healthy.
They are low, long-term (or even sowing on) and densely leafy. Like classic groundcover they have some years to dominate. And then again it is quicly too much, or even a pest.

If they shopuld also be edible, this is a bonus. Examples of edible ground cover:

Fragaria vesca (Wild Strawberry)Galium odoratum (Woodruff)
Pulmonaria officinalis (Lungwort)
Sedum acre (Stonecrop)
Thymus vulgaris (Thyme)
Ramsons (Allium ursinum)
Several different bells (Campanula) have edible flowers of C. glomerata (clustered bellflower), C. rapunculoides (field bellflower), C. cochleariifolia, C. versicolor, C. fenestrellata, C. punctata, C. and C. takesimana porscharsyana.
Ground ivy (Glechoma hederacea) can be very invasive. Rather try to keep it under control. It was formerly also (instead of hops, which has also edible shoots) used as a bitter substance to brew beer. But it can also be used in salads, on bread and in soups and savory dishes.

I sow or plant a little of what I would like to have, the other part it is a matter of selective weeding, and just leave what you want to keep. Or pick what you want to serve.