The end of my garden is a little higher than the rest (2 feet or so) and has
my husband's workshop on it. In front of the workshop is a slope about 5
feet long which goes down to the lawn. The bottom of the bank becomes
waterlogged in winter. It gets the sun in the afternoons. Our soil is heavy
clay with maybe 8" of decent topsoil.
Currently the bank is re-growing bindweed and brambles after being cleared
to locate the workshop. Is there anything I could clothe the bank with - I
only want low-growing and low-maintenance stuff, or would it be better to
grass it over.
I'd thought of vinca or something like that, would that be suitably
low-maintenance?
Thanks

In article ,
Pickle wrote:
The end of my garden is a little higher than the rest (2 feet or so) and has
my husband's workshop on it. In front of the workshop is a slope about 5
feet long which goes down to the lawn. The bottom of the bank becomes
waterlogged in winter. It gets the sun in the afternoons. Our soil is heavy
clay with maybe 8" of decent topsoil.
Currently the bank is re-growing bindweed and brambles after being cleared
to locate the workshop. Is there anything I could clothe the bank with - I
only want low-growing and low-maintenance stuff, or would it be better to
grass it over.
I'd thought of vinca or something like that, would that be suitably
low-maintenance?

Yes. I would go for Vinca minor, and be prepared to weed until it
gets established and occasionally thereafter. The mowing will
discourage it from invading the lawn, but you will still have to
remove the odd plant by hand.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

Yes. I would go for Vinca minor, and be prepared to weed until it
gets established and occasionally thereafter. The mowing will
discourage it from invading the lawn, but you will still have to
remove the odd plant by hand.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

What's the difference between vincas major and minor, apart from the key of
course?

On Sat, 24 May 2003 23:14:55 +0100, "Pickle"
wrote:


What's the difference between vincas major and minor, apart from the key of
course?

as the nme implies, minor is smaller! minor has a smaller more compact
ground-hugging habit than major (which, IMHO can look a bit straggly)
ISTR than minor has a lot more varieties available too.

--
Derek Turner

Outlook Express is worth precisely what you paid for it.

"Derek Turner" wrote in message
news
On Sat, 24 May 2003 23:14:55 +0100, "Pickle"
wrote:


What's the difference between vincas major and minor, apart from
the key of
course?

as the nme implies, minor is smaller! minor has a smaller more
compact
ground-hugging habit than major (which, IMHO can look a bit
straggly)
ISTR than minor has a lot more varieties available too.
Derek Turner

There is also a really nice varigated variety...........
http://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/floricultur.../Vinca/a20.htm

And pink, and white, and...........
http://www.galyeannursery.com/varieties.html

Jenny :~)

as the nme implies, minor is smaller! minor has a smaller more
compact
ground-hugging habit than major (which, IMHO can look a bit
straggly)
ISTR than minor has a lot more varieties available too.
Derek Turner

There is also a really nice varigated variety...........
http://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/floricultur.../Vinca/a20.htm

And pink, and white, and...........
http://www.galyeannursery.com/varieties.html

Jenny :~)



Thank you, the pics in my book both looked the same!

In article ,
Pickle wrote:

as the nme implies, minor is smaller! minor has a smaller more
compact
ground-hugging habit than major (which, IMHO can look a bit
straggly)
ISTR than minor has a lot more varieties available too.

There is also a really nice varigated variety...........
http://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/floricultur.../Vinca/a20.htm

And pink, and white, and...........
http://www.galyeannursery.com/varieties.html

Thank you, the pics in my book both looked the same!

V. minor grows to about 6" high, and V. major to about 1'; the latter
is more drought resistant, and can be a real thug. I have just shorn
mine down to ground level to get it back under control - yes, that is
one way to prune it :-)

If you are in this area, and want some V. major "oxyloba" (a very
different strain, with lighter leaves but much darker and more spiky
flowers), please ask. For reasons I cannot understand, it is rarely
stocked. It is a much better than the common one in several respects.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.