What a difference a couple days make! The carpets of Vinca minor, the ground cover you either love or hate, were awash with their perfect little blue-purple flowers. If not kept in bounds it can become quite invasive but I find that you can easily control it and use it to your advantage. Not to mention the glossy evergreen quality is wonderful and you can have a lot of fun mixing it with all sorts of other plants.
Friday, March 16, 2012
Vinca minor (periwinkle) in bloom
What a difference a couple days make! The carpets of Vinca minor, the ground cover you either love or hate, were awash with their perfect little blue-purple flowers. If not kept in bounds it can become quite invasive but I find that you can easily control it and use it to your advantage. Not to mention the glossy evergreen quality is wonderful and you can have a lot of fun mixing it with all sorts of other plants.
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2 comments:
I have this in my yard, and it is beautiful on the hill where not much else will grow. However, I want to clear it from the flat area in my yard so i can plant some flowers. What is the best way to clear it out, and how can I prevent it from spreading back into the area? OR, can I planw within the ground cover? It seems very dense,I am afraid it will choke any other plants.
The best way to clear it is simply by physical means, in other words pull it up and do your best to get as much of the roots out too. As you say, it is dense and will take some work but that's the only way. To control it from spreading just score around the area with a spade and pull out any pieces spreading where you don't want them. I learned this plant as border-line invasive so I fear it would too quickly choke out other plants if you tried to inter-plant. That being said a friend made amazing containers with Vinca and various succulent Sedum that worked reall well together, but that was in containers where the Vinca's roots were plenty restricted so it stayed at a smaller and less aggresive size. In a regular garden where it's roots can spread far and wide I'd let it create it's carpet and just be fastidious about keeping it in check. Best, Alex
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