Beginner Gardening: Basement bloomer.., 1 by Kizmo

Kizmo wrote:
Hi Sharon,
I love vinca in my hanging baskets! They grow like crazy, when I clip them back at a joint, it grows twice as many so it gets really bushy. When I lived in a 2nd story apt, they grew so long the downstairs neighbor used them for a shade screen! They look really pretty blowing in a slight breeze. I've never noticed the blue flowers on them in the baskets until I brought them into the basement. I have 3 flowers down there now..
My Sister in law worked at a nursery and grows alot of different things at home. She uses vinca as a groundcover and lets it ramble at will. They have a berm home, so it rambles over the retaining walls and along the rocks in the beds below. She suggested I plant it in the ground on the north flower beds over the winter instead of bringing them in, but I couldn't bear to put them out there. I'll have to try it, though. There are different varieties, I have one that has smaller leaves, and it bears more flowers, but I don't care for it as much as this one. It separates well, too, as I have enough for all my baskets and then some!
Try pulling a start and planting it in a pot outside this spring. I plant mine on the north side porch and also the south side, both do well, but really suck the water! I had to trim them back 4 times last summer as they reached the floor and the wind was wrapping them around the porch posts. Good Luck!