For several years, Nancy planted impatiens as a border along our sidewalks and edges. The colorful flowers were genuine beauties, but required lots of watering, TLC and not too much sun. As our tree guy trimmed back the limbs on our senior citizen maple trees, the impatiens complained mightily about all that extra sunshine. Nancy decided to nix them and went with Vincas instead, and they are doing famously.
Vincas thrive in full sun, and they resist intense heat and even drought. In fact, they like their soil to be a bit on the dry side.
Vincas are annuals so they must be replenished each spring when the ground has warmed. Mid-May is an ideal time to set out the young plants or seeds. Vincas attract butterflies but not bees. They grow as tall as 24-inches and offer a wide palette of colors. The plants also adapt well to pots but then need a bit more fertilizer and water.
For beautiful borders along walkways and edges, consider the lovely and hearty Vincas.
