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Vinca minor is, as my father used to say, neat however not gaudy. Generally often known as periwinkle or myrtle, this creeping perennial seems in every single place. Like a superb soldier, vinca hits the bottom working, and does its job effectively, even beneath adversarial situations. Elements of the suburbs are nearly upholstered with it, however you’ll be able to even discover this undemanding evergreen stalwart preserving vigil amongst uncared for monuments in long-abandoned cemeteries.
In reality, vinca is so completely dependable that it’s often damned with faint reward. Folks take its good-looking, 1-inch oval leaves and purplish-blue flowers without any consideration. This can be partly as a result of it blooms within the spring, and showier blossoms comparable to tulips, daffodils and big blowsy hyacinths steal its thunder. Within the nice horticultural magnificence pageant, vinca would possibly win “Miss Congeniality,” however is neither statuesque nor voluptuous sufficient to stroll away with the crown.
Novice gardeners looking for one thing to develop within the shade are sometimes directed to hunt out vinca in that lonely part on the rear of the backyard heart the place groundcovers dwell. If they aren’t cautious, they cease earlier than they get there and find yourself shopping for a flat or two of annual vinca (Catharanthus rosea, also referred to as Madagascar rosy periwinkle). Annual vinca is beautiful, with darkish inexperienced shiny leaves and diminutive flowers starting from white to rose to purple. It is a superb bedding plant in its personal proper, however, in contrast to Vinca minor, it grows greatest in full solar. Annual vinca might not perish beneath the good oak within the entrance yard, however it is going to most likely languish in flowerless misery.
Our ancestors, who adorned their yards and cemetery plots with vinca grown from cuttings, had fewer sources of magnificence and possibly appreciated the plant extra. Now, when we’ve all turn into jaded by such on a regular basis marvels as inexperienced catsup and blue potatoes, it’s straightforward to miss vinca.
However this doesn’t need to be so. With solely a bit extra effort than it takes to get to the again of the backyard heart, you’ll be able to receive a double handful of enticing and weird sorts of vinca. Should you like the normal periwinkle-colored vinca blossoms, attempt the ‘Bowles Blue’, ‘Ralph Shugert’ or ‘Sterling Silver’ varieties. The 2 latter sorts additionally sport variegated foliage to assist gentle up darkish locations. Each on occasion I discover a plot the place somebody has planted both Vinca minor ‘Atropurpurea’ or ‘Double Purple’. Each of those have wine-colored blossoms, and ‘Double Purple’ has, because the identify suggests, an additional set of petals for good measure.
It’s all the time nice to have one thing white in shady corners. Two varieties, Vinca minor ‘Alba’ and ‘Miss Jekyll’, a dwarf cultivar named after the good English gardener, fill the invoice.
Hybridizers have additionally experimented with completely different shades of variegated foliage. ‘Valley Glow’ has white flowers, yellow stems, and leaves with gold variegation. ‘Golden’ has the identical felicitous mixture. Should you want conventional blue blossoms together with your variegated gold and inexperienced foliage, then ‘Blue & Gold’ will delight you.
As everybody is aware of, vinca spreads the place it’s blissful. If you have already got a stand of the backyard selection vinca someplace in your property, you’ll be able to unfold it round by digging up rooted clumps and replanting them within the desired space. Water effectively for a number of weeks, and the brand new vinca patch will start to take off, even when it dwells in perpetual twilight beneath an unlimited blue spruce, as a few of my vinca as soon as did.
Fall is nearly as good a time as any to plant floor covers. Within the Northeast it’s clever to do it in September or early October, effectively earlier than the primary frost date. In reality, remodel your self into an achieved multi-tasker and plant the vinca if you are placing in spring bulbs. That approach you’ll not need to undergo the agony of bare fading bulb foliage subsequent Might and June. The vinca shall be prepared and prepared to repair the issue for you.
Native backyard facilities often carry atypical vinca plus the occasional ‘Bowles Blue’ and generally one of many widespread variegated varieties. The main catalogs have related choices. In case you are searching for the extra uncommon variegated varieties, or these with white or darkish purple flowers, go to Oregon Path Groundcovers, P.O. Field 601, 9080 S. Good Lane, Canby, Oregon, 97013; tel. 503/263-4688; FAX 503/266-9832; additionally on-line at www.galyeannursery.com. Oregon Path will promote you rooted crops in plenty of both 50 or 100. Should you don’t want that many, discover a pal or neighbor who will break up the order with you. That approach you’ll be able to share the excellence of being the primary in your neighborhood to set the neighbors’ tongues wagging about your attractive new groundcover.
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