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Periwinkle is a popular perennial plant that is used for ornamental purposes. It is well suited for landscaping park areas, flower beds, squares, recreation areas. Gardeners use periwinkle in landscaping primarily as a ground cover, although there are other ways to use it.
What does a periwinkle look like
Periwinkle (Vinca) refers to creeping evergreens. This is a low perennial shrub from the Kutrov family. Wild growing quite often found in Eurasia, some species grow in North America. The shrub owes its name to the Latin word “vinca”, which means to creep or wrap around.
Numerous creeping stems of the plant take root quickly, forming a continuous carpet
Periwinkle is a real find for a lazy grower. This plant has really unique properties. It is quite decorative, grows without any care, multiplies easily and lives a very long time. In addition to everything, it has a number of useful properties, is used in folk medicine, and is also used in various magical rites.
In appearance, the periwinkle is a small, low shrub growing in a continuous carpet. It has stiff stems, dark green small leaves. In the spring, flower stalks appear on the plant, on which buds with pale purple petals bloom. They can please the eye throughout the summer and until late autumn.
The most beautiful species and varieties
There are quite a few varieties of periwinkle. Depending on the size, they are divided into several groups, in each of which there are varieties with different colors.
Periwinkle
This type of periwinkle has the Latin name Vincaminor. The plant is evergreen, with a weaving stem. The leaves are of a rich dark green color with a gloss, there are also varieties with a variegated color, with a silvery tint, with a border of various tones from yellow to red. Their shape is oval-elongated with a sharp tip. Peduncles can grow up to 15-20 cm. Flowering is short, occurs in May-June. The color of the petals is from white to purple. The corolla has 5 petals.
Bowles’s Variety
This variety is characterized by soft lilac large flowers. The leaves of Bowles Variety are rich green, glossy, dense, rather small, with well-read veins. Plant height can reach up to 30 cm. Peduncles and part of the shoots are erect, in addition to them, the plant has a large number of creeping stems, due to which a continuous green carpet is formed.
Bowles’s Variety buds appear in late spring with occasional reblooms
Darts Blue
Darts Blue is a low variety of small periwinkle, it rarely grows above 20 cm. It got its name for the rich blue color of the petals. The leaves are small, glossy, bright green, dense.
Darts Blue blooms in early spring, less abundant in summer
EmilyJoy
Emily Joy has a pure white coloration of the flower corolla and petals. The leaves are quite large, oblong-ovate, glossy, green with a yellowish tint.
Emily Joy variety is quite young
Marie
This is a short growing variety, excellent for creating a continuous cover. Stems creeping, long, well rooted. The leaves are dense, leathery, bright green. The flowers are small, about 2 cm in diameter, purple-blue, appear in late May
Often in September, a second wave of flowering Marie can be observed.
Atropurpurea
This variety is distinguished by the original shape of the flower, resembling a propeller. The color of the petals of Atropurpurea is purple. The stem is flexible, creeping. The leaves are quite small, green, with a glossy sheen.
Atropurpurea blooms in May-June
Periwinkle large
In Latin, this variety is called Vincamajor. These are mainly creeping plants of small height with a creeping stem and large leaves and flowers, reaching 5 cm in diameter. In ornamental gardening, the large periwinkle is used much less frequently, since the number of flowers on its bushes is much less than on the small one.
Variegata
This is one of the most popular varieties of periwinkle. The leaves of Variegata are large, green, with a light border of a milky-greenish tint. Flowers large, purple, rare.
The height of Variegata can reach 30cm
Spotted
Periwinkle Maculata has a characteristic leaf color. Their interior has an irregular yellowish spot and appears lighter against a bright green background. The flowers are few, large, purple, lighter in the central part of the corolla.
The Maculata variety has a lighter central part of the leaf.
periwinkle pink
Vinca rosea is the Latin name for this variety of periwinkle. It happened because of the characteristic color of the flower petals. The main difference from other species of this plant is erect stems. Another characteristic feature is the long flowering period, the buds appear on it in the spring and do not disappear until late autumn.
Grape Cooler
The variety is distinguished by very decorative lilac-pink flowers with a light center. The plant has dense leathery leaves of a rounded ovoid shape with a light central vein.
The height of the Grape Cooler bush can reach 60 cm
Peppermint Cooler
In this variety, the flowers are painted pink, while in the center it is more saturated and resembles a slightly spread bright raspberry-red blot. The Peppermint Cooler plant has green large oval-oblong leaves and a strong stem.
A bright blurry spot in the center of the flower distinguishes the Peppermint Cooler variety.
How to arrange a flower bed in the garden
Periwinkle is used mostly as a groundcover, forming a continuous carpet. Creeping stems take root easily, so the bush grows very quickly in breadth, becoming denser and capturing more and more areas. Here are some of the options for using the periwinkle as a decorative element of the garden:
- Border. Periwinkle is great for bordering paths, alleys.
After flowering ends, the red border will turn green
- Alpine hill. A green carpet with many small flowers looks very impressive among the stones.
Blooming stream, “flowing around” the stones, looks very impressive
- Mixborder or combined flower beds. Periwinkle blends well with other, larger plants, so it is often used in various flower arrangements or backgrounds.
Periwinkle looks great in mixed plantings
- Substrate. Often these plants are planted under fruit trees instead of the usual grassy lawn.
Blooming carpet is a great alternative to a regular lawn
- Оformation of steep slopes. Periwinkle is often used not only for decoration, but also to strengthen and hold the ground on a hill or hill.
The plant perfectly strengthens the slopes
What colors go with
Periwinkle looks good in separate plantings, but it is not an antagonist and gets along well with many other plants. In mixed compositions, it is planted next to ferns or violas. Often, its neighbors are cereal and bulbous plants: tulips, crocuses, irises, lilies.
Here are some photos in which group plantings you can use periwinkle:
Flowerbed in blue tones – the perfect combination for decorating the site
Mixborder in combination with irises and other flowers will adequately decorate the path
Alpine landscape is in perfect harmony with daffodils
Conclusion
Periwinkle in landscape design can be used for a variety of purposes. It is unpretentious and undemanding, while its decorative effect is preserved even after the end of flowering. Its additional advantage is that the plant has good frost resistance; in many regions it can be grown without shelter for the winter.