Re: Invasive groundcover/vinca minor, AKA periwinkle

>------------------------------
>
>Date: Mon, 27 Apr 1998 09:51:15 EDT
>From: Blee811 <Blee811@aol.com>
>Subject: Re: Invasive groundcover/vinca minor, AKA periwinkle
>
>If I remember the original request correctly, the question about an invasive
>groundcover had to do with the need to smother out the weeds, especially
>ground ivy.  I battled ground ivy for many many years in a bed of vinca minor
>and never really won the war.  Vinca does not increase fast enough to get
>ahead of the ground ivy, which by the way we call Creeping Charley
locally.  I
>have never grown vinca major, but I am told it is much more aggressive and
>invasive, so you might want to try that.
>
>Bill Lee
>Zone 6A outside Cincinnati
>- ---------------------------------------------------------------------

 Our variegated vinca major is more agressive than the vinca minor, but not
more agressive than our ground ivy. For that matter, neither is the mint
the ground ivy is running through.
 I think the best bet would be to just enjoy the small purple flowers on
the ground ivy. Pretend it's an herb.
 You could also try a 'dumping garden' in this spot. Some friends of ours
have a 'foundling garden'. We transplanted the springblooming roses and
some unneeded quince and some 'extra' oenotheria to the edge of the woods.
 It gets little maintenance beyond a late winter weedwhacking of the
surrounding weeds. It looks great for several months, then 'disappears' for
the rest of the year.

 I would recommend adding any shrubs with a single trunk at least a foot
tall. That should make it harder for the ground ivy to climb up into the
shrub.

HTH

Matt Trahan  <matttrahan@ecsu.campus.mci.net>
USDA zone 8, Sunset zone 31, AHS heat zone 7, northeastern N.C.

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