vinca minor

Is vinca minor compatible with shrubs like azaleas and roses? I'm afraid I've hit the point of no return on the expansion of vinca in my yard. I can rip it off bushes if it will kill them, but ridding my yard of it would be an enormous undertaking. Can we live together in harmony?

Yes you can live in harmony, I use this plant as a weed smother in among my Rhododendrons and Azaleas ect, (dont have many of the later due to deer)
I just yank clumps of this up and destroy it as it gets too thick, it's not like some creeping plants that choke the host shrubs but if you don't want it growing UP wards, take the garden sheers to it, cant say you will ever get rid of this plant for good, it has a knack of creeping along the top of the soil and anchoring it's roots anywhere it likes, even in cracks in the paving, jeeeees why do we never learn to get rid sooner rather than toooo late EH !!!!

The other thing to try if you want rid, is use a paint brush and paint BUSH type of killer, using the brush gives you more control over where you put the killer and keeps it away from your plants. I use an old makeup brush for this on the very few times Ive had to go down the root of using killers, I crush the folliage by hand before I painted the killer as the crushed leaves would take in the killer faster, these killers take several days before you notice any yellowing of the leaves maybe even a week depending on weather ect.
Hope this helps. Good luck. WeeNel.

Keep a 'defensible space' between the Vinca and the shrubs by promptly trimming it back when it starts to climb into the shrubs. As long as it stays low, it is a good ground cover in sun or part shade.

You can mow it almost like a lawn, but probably only needs it once a year, maybe only every other year. If you cut it about 3" high right before the spring growth starts then it will look bare for only a short time, then fill in low and lush.

I asked How to Kill Vinca Minor on Garden Guides and copied this: http://www.gardenguides.com/101362-kill-vinca-minor.html#ixzz2UAhVeFKB

Step 1
Dig and pull up all the Vinca that you can by hand. Rake up and destroy all parts of this noxious weed. Don't leave any of it lying around because these plants root readily from cuttings. You already know that any roots left unattended will sprout up, too. Don't add Vinca to your compost heap.
Step 2
Mow or cut remaining plants as close to ground level as possible.
Step 3
Add 2 oz. liquid hand dishwashing liquid to a gallon of white vinegar. Stir slowly to avoid creating excessive bubbles. Pour into a garden sprayer and apply generously to the cut Vinca plants. The vinegar may not kill the weeds, but it will weaken them. Don't expose desirable plants to the solution, which kills indiscriminately.
Step 4
Flood the soil of the affected area with the vinegar solution.
Step 5
Cut large empty cardboard boxes down into sheets. Cover the Vinca-infested area with cardboard, overlapping the ends of the sheets. If possible, extend the cardboard several feet beyond the perimeter of the affected area to completely deprive the weeds of light. Soak the cardboard with the garden hose.
Step 6
Pile 6 to 8 inches of compost or shredded mulch on top of the cardboard and walk on it to pack it tightly. Drench it thoroughly with water. This barrier will reduce the weed's vigor and inhibit growth as it struggles to reach the light.
Step 7
Pull stray runners that attempt to emerge from beneath the barrier. Keep it packed and heavy with water at all times.
Step 8
Soak the mulch and cardboard barrier with white vinegar once weekly thereafter and continue to keep it wet until periwinkle shoots stop sprouting up from underneath.

It will never stop creeping... how do you define harmony? I'm not sure I'd flood an area with tree roots in it with vinegar, or put a layer of mulch that thick on roots. Likely your Vinca is in the shade of some tree. The Vinca will creep as far as it needs to under the mulch if necessary to find light, and I don't think a foot of mulch would be enough to keep it down in a bed. My Mom planted a few sprigs almost a decade ago and if she won't let me rip it up this year, I don't think I'll be able to. I've been spot-battling it when she's not looking so her tiny new Azaleas and Hydrangeas can keep their heads above it, and even though I showed her how much I ripped out (with no visible difference,) she said to leave it.

I don't let weeds grow to the point where chemical measures are necessary in my yard, but eventually the responsibility of ridding this spot of Vinca will be mine. I already doubt my ability to be able to eradicate it manually if I started today since I'm not there every day. So anticipate at some point I will employ some method of letting this vine drink poison from a jar. In a nutshell, you fill a bottle or jar with herbicide, burying most of its' depth so it can't tip over. Insert as many vine ends as you can in that location. All connected parts of the vine with submerged tips should get a dose of the poison. If the jar has a wide opening, use a lid with a hole cut in it, or plastic wrap (and maybe a clothespin) to keep critters and rain out. I wouldn't let pets or small kids around this setup unattended. Repeat/duplicate as necessary to reach all parts and until it's all dead or subdued enough to manually finish. This keeps the herbicide off of the soil, and poses no danger to surrounding plants.

I love your idea for letting just the vinca suck up the herbicide purpleinnop! Awesome idea!!!