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Periwinkle Blue and Gold is a beautiful groundcover with blue flowers and ornamental foliage. It is used to create a green carpet in the garden, in single plantings and in combination with other flowers. It has good winter hardiness, therefore, in the regions of the middle lane, it hibernates on the street, under a layer of mulch.
Description
Periwinkle Blue and Gold is a ground cover perennial up to 15-20 cm high. It is highly decorative due to interesting 5-petal flowers of pale blue color and yellow leaves with green edges. It blooms 2 times per season – in May and in August. Decorates the garden at any time thanks to interesting foliage and the ability to completely cover the soil.
Periwinkle Blue and Gold is winter-hardy, withstands frosts down to -24 ° C, which makes it possible to grow it in many regions of Our Country
Perfectly fills the space, creates an attractive dark green background. It can be grown both in the ground and in planters, as well as in large pots and containers. Culture prefers shade and partial shade.
Cultivation from seeds
Growing a periwinkle from seeds is quite simple. To do this, they are planted immediately in open ground in early May or early September. If these deadlines are missed, they can be sown until mid-June, then the flowers will appear once – in the second half of summer. Seedlings are also allowed. To do this, the seeds are planted in early March.
Seed preparation
The germination of seeds of the Blue and Gold periwinkle is quite good, but they can first be soaked in a growth stimulator (Epin, Kornevin). If they are purchased from a reliable supplier, it is not necessary to pickle them.
Sowing
For cultivation, a loose mixture is prepared from the following components: peat, sand, vermiculite (ratio 2:2:1).
Growing instructions:
- Deepen the seeds by 1,5 cm, plant at a distance of 4 cm.
- Moisturize generously.
- Cover with black film and put in a dark, warm place (25 ° C).
- After a week, open the film, the first shoots should appear.
- The temperature is gradually reduced to room temperature.
- Dive after the appearance of 4-5 leaves.
Blue and Gol periwinkle seedlings can be grown in individual containers
How and when to plant outdoors
Blue and Gold periwinkle is planted in open ground at different times. Planting time depends on the climate in the region:
- in the south – at the end of April;
- in the Moscow region and in the middle lane – in early May;
- in the Urals and Siberia – in mid-May.
Site selection and preparation
The site is chosen with weak shading – it is better to plant a periwinkle next to large trees and shrubs, next to a fence or a house that protects the place from the wind. The soil should be fairly fertile and light, with neutral acidity (pH = 7).
It is also important to remember that periwinkle, like many other plants, does not like strong waterlogging. Therefore, it is better to plant a bush on a small hill, but definitely not in a lowland.
1-2 weeks before planting, the site is cleaned and dug up. If the soil is not very fertile, it is recommended to apply humus and complex mineral fertilizer in the amount of 50-60 g per 1 m2.
Landing stages
The planting of the Blue and Gold periwinkle is carried out as follows:
- Several shallow holes are formed at a distance of 15-20 cm.
- A drainage layer is laid on the bottom (stone chips, pebbles).
- Seedlings are installed and covered with earth. If the site was not previously fertilized, a pinch of wood ash or a mixture of superphosphate and potassium salt should be added.
- Water well and lay out mulch (peat, sawdust, hay, spruce branches).
Care
Caring for the Blue and Gold periwinkle is very simple. It should be watered moderately, not very often. For example, even if the rains are not heavy, additional moisture is not needed. If a drought has set in, it is enough to water once a week with warm, settled water.
Many summer residents do not feed the periwinkle at all. But to maintain long flowering, you need to add nitrogen fertilizer in the spring and organic or complex mineral fertilizer in the summer (late June and mid-July).
Periodically, you need to weed the soil and loosen it, especially after watering. If you lay a layer of mulch immediately after planting, the earth will not have time to dry out, so additional watering is extremely rare.
Diseases and pests
Periwinkle Blue and Gold has good immunity, but can suffer from powdery mildew or pests (aphids, spider mites, and others). Therefore, in May it is recommended to carry out preventive treatment with any fungicide:
- Maksim;
- Tattu;
- Profit;
- Topaz.
Insects are fought with folk remedies (a solution of laundry soap shavings, an infusion of onion peel, dry mustard powder) or insecticides:
- You decide;
- Fufanon;
- Spark;
- Confidor and others.
Trimming
Pruning can be done in early October or early spring, before the start of sap flow. All damaged and dry shoots are removed, and healthy branches are shortened by half. The cut points can be sprinkled with coal powder or treated with a weak solution of potassium permanganate.
Preparation for winter
Periwinkle Blue and Gold can winter outside in all regions except Siberia and the Urals (there it is sent to a warmed balcony or loggia). The plant does not require special preparation for winter – it is enough to prune, water well and lay a large layer of mulch from spruce branches, leaf litter, peat.
Reproduction
There are several ways to propagate the Blue and Gold periwinkle:
- Seeds – sowing in open ground or in containers for seedlings.
- Cuttings (length 20 cm): in the spring they are planted in open ground.
- Layering: in summer, the shoot is sprinkled with earth, after 3-4 weeks it gives roots, after which it can be transplanted to a permanent place.
- Periwinkle is also propagated by dividing an adult bush (from 3-4 years). In summer, they dig it up and cut it into several parts so that each has 2-3 shoots.
Photo in landscape design
The main role of the Blue and Gold periwinkle is as a groundcover. Creeping shoots create a pleasant green carpet, decorate the garden with both flowers and foliage.
Periwinkle can be planted along paths in the garden or in the park
The bush is used both in single plantings and in mixborders, multi-tiered flower beds.
Periwinkle is picky about the soil, so it can be grown on rocky slopes.
Blue and Gold can be planted in hanging planters or in portable containers to decorate the terrace.
Most often, the periwinkle is used in single landings, because he is trying to capture a large area
Periwinkle Blue and Gold will help decorate inconspicuous corners in the garden
Conclusion
The Blue and Gold Periwinkle is an interesting groundcover that has attractive flowers and dense greenery. The culture does not require watering and top dressing, it reproduces very simply, quickly takes up space. Can be used to decorate nondescript, shady places in the garden.
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