Vinca minor Sebastian's Beste

Vinca minor 'Sebastian's Beste' is nothing other than the combination of three natural forms of the lesser periwinkle, among the prettiest: the species Vinca minor, with blue flowers, its 'Atropurpurea' form with purple flowers, and 'Alba', which produces pure white stars. For long weeks, between spring and summer, these lovely flowers bloom, standing out against a very dense carpet of dark green glossy foliage. Reliable and hardy, these periwinkles spread quickly on the ground, in partial shade or in the shade of trees, even in dry soil in summer. The evergreen foliage remains attractive in winter.

The lesser periwinkle, Vinca minor, is a creeping perennial with woody stems from the Apocynaceae family. It is a species native to central and southern Europe. It populates woods, hedges, rocks, or even dry and sunny meadows, and can sometimes be invasive. This plant develops from a woody base, producing creeping or upright stems, forming a dense carpet 20 cm (8in) high and 3 m (10ft) or more wide. In contact with the ground, the stems produce vigorous roots that allow the periwinkle to continue its lateral growth. The stems bear opposite, ovate, dark green, shiny leaves, and produce solitary terminal flowers from March to June, depending on the climate, composed of five square-shaped, asymmetrical petals measuring between 2 and 3 cm (1in) in diameter.

The periwinkles are useful groundcovers, sometimes considered invasive. They will spread even in shady areas, where they will be slightly less floriferous. They form thick intertwined mats, effectively covering the ground under trees or bushes, which they are not afraid of the roots of, or in rockeries or along pathways. They will easily naturalise, in the company of Dichondra repens or Cymbalaria muralis, in a slightly wild understory. The 'Gloire de Marengo' ivy, with its fabulous cream-variegated gray-green leaves, will form a beautiful association with the lesser periwinkle in regions where winter is not too harsh.