A Place In The Sun For Vincas

Join Freddie to find out what’s new and trending in the world of bedding plants. These Flowering Favourites are available this month at garden centres countrywide ready to be planted in your garden or in a pot.

Special features

• Heat- and drought-tolerant
• Pest- and disease-resistant
• Attracts butterflies
• Compact plants with glossy leaves
• Doesn’t need deadheading.

Grown as annuals in colder regions and perennials in warmer climates, vincas are perfect for any garden.

Whether you have a space in the garden or a container vincas will fulfil a purpose. Glossy green leaves and a huge choice in flower colour. They also have a long flowering season right through summer until the end of autumn.

What they need

• Full sun to semi-shade.
• Poor soil (there are not many times we say that) as long as it’s well-draining. Too rich a soil inhibits flower production. The drainage is important to prevent root rot – the very few problems they have with any type of pests or diseases.
• Limited water (again not something we say a lot). Leave it to the rainfall or water once a week at the roots.
• Pinch back the plants to encourage bushy growth.
• They will do with a liquid plant food every 2-3 months. Vincas will grow to around 35cm round and high. Although vinca alkaloids are used to make some medicines, never use your garden vincas for anything but to look at, as they are highly toxic.

Varieties

• ‘Titan’ – bigger flowers in a range of red, pink, purple and white.
• ‘Pacifica’ – vigorous bloomers in bold and soft colours. The flowers cover the plant so that you can’t even see a gap.

NOTE: Catharanthus roseus (previously Vinca rosea) is a category 1b alien invader plant and cannot be grown, but there are plenty of hybrids to choose from at your local nursery or garden centre.

On the side

Another plant that thrives in the heat, blooms non-stop and is easy to grow is the lovely ‘SunPatiens’ in pink, lilac, orange, magenta and white. Aptly named, they perform equally well in the sun as well as the shade for a good dose of colour anywhere in the garden.

Brought to you by the Bedding Plant Growers Association (BPGA)

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