We have become BIG fans of vinca! We had one little patch 15 years ago, and divided it up as it spread. Now, we have fussy gardens in some areas, and expanses of vinca between them. It chokes out weeds, survives the coldest winters and the most severe hot droughts, and always looks serene. It’s green when the snow recedes. It tolerates being walked on occasionally. It covers steep hillsides. And, as you know, it has pretty flowers in the spring.
Downsides? It spreads, perhaps more than you would like. It spread out over a couple feet of our paved driveway before I cut the dense mat along the edge of the pavement, rolled it up like sod, and moved it to where we wanted it. I simply laid it on the weedy ground, stomped on it, watered it, and the next day, it looked like it had always lived there.
I better take the trowel down the road with me on the next walk. There are agapanthus unescorted on public land too. The vinca is sort of in the neighbour’s yard, but they have extended beyond the frontage (no footpath) so it is fair game, and they wouldn’t mind anyhow. I like the choking out weeds bit, I could put it up against the outside of the side fence and Mr R can mow right up to it, trimming it at the same time. There are three flowers now, methinks they are random late bloomers as we are in the third week of winter! Thanks for stopping by Grace. 🙂
We mow over some of our newer plots of vinca that are sparse from the days when we painstakingly planted individual seedlings from nurseries. They are spreading more slowly than the patches that we leave alone, though. I thought of another downside: it grows over the stone mulch that I put down along the path and porch. It’s easy to rip up, though.
Christine R 
Vinca?
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Spot on! I didn’t know, but do now. Thanks Carol Ann.
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We have become BIG fans of vinca! We had one little patch 15 years ago, and divided it up as it spread. Now, we have fussy gardens in some areas, and expanses of vinca between them. It chokes out weeds, survives the coldest winters and the most severe hot droughts, and always looks serene. It’s green when the snow recedes. It tolerates being walked on occasionally. It covers steep hillsides. And, as you know, it has pretty flowers in the spring.
Downsides? It spreads, perhaps more than you would like. It spread out over a couple feet of our paved driveway before I cut the dense mat along the edge of the pavement, rolled it up like sod, and moved it to where we wanted it. I simply laid it on the weedy ground, stomped on it, watered it, and the next day, it looked like it had always lived there.
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I better take the trowel down the road with me on the next walk. There are agapanthus unescorted on public land too. The vinca is sort of in the neighbour’s yard, but they have extended beyond the frontage (no footpath) so it is fair game, and they wouldn’t mind anyhow. I like the choking out weeds bit, I could put it up against the outside of the side fence and Mr R can mow right up to it, trimming it at the same time. There are three flowers now, methinks they are random late bloomers as we are in the third week of winter! Thanks for stopping by Grace. 🙂
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“unescorted” 🙂
We mow over some of our newer plots of vinca that are sparse from the days when we painstakingly planted individual seedlings from nurseries. They are spreading more slowly than the patches that we leave alone, though. I thought of another downside: it grows over the stone mulch that I put down along the path and porch. It’s easy to rip up, though.
LikeLiked by 1 person