CHARLES REYNOLDS: Periwinkles provide flowers year-round
If you thought periwinkle (aka vinca) was just another pretty flowering plant, think again: Cultivation of this Madagascan species goes back centuries, when herbalists used the plant to concoct remedies for everything from coughs and eye infections to diabetes. More recently, researchers have discovered that the plant contains dozens of alkaloids that may combat high blood pressure and – perhaps – cancer. For gardeners, though, varieties of periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus) are resilient, almost ever-blooming herbaceous plants for sunny, well-drained sites.
Available in varieties with flowers in shades of red, pink, white or pale blue, most periwinkles sold are actually hybrids between C. roseus and other Catharanthus species. And though C. roseus grows 24 to 30 inches tall, many varieties are considerably smaller and great for containers. Regardless of parentage, periwinkles thrive with little care on sunny, sandy sites. Once established, no fertilization is required, and irrigation is needed only during prolonged drought. Hard freezes seriously damage plants, but they usually recover when warm weather returns. Leggy plants can be cut back and the cuttings used for propagation. In addition, seeds of many varieties are readily available.
VEGGIES GALORE
Gardeners have ceased planting warm-season veggies, but they’re welcoming dozens of cool-season types. Greens appropriate for planting now include spinach, kale, celery, leek, Brussels sprout, collard, mustard, lettuce, cauliflower, broccoli and kohlrabi. Among root crops ready for planting are turnip, beet, onion, radish, carrot and potato. Also appropriate are English pea, parsley and strawberry. And don’t forget those herbs. Whether or not you use them in recipes, annual and perennial herbs add aroma, texture and blossoms to the garden. Kinds to plant now include basil, garlic, anise, fennel, borage, cumin, lemon balm, horehound, chervil, oregano, mints, rosemary, thyme, sweet marjoram, sage and tarragon.
HOMESICK FOR HOLLYHOCKS
It’s natural for gardeners who move here from the North to feel sentimental about plants they left behind. One kind I’m occasionally asked about is hollyhock (Alcea rosea), native to Eurasia. The problem with this plant – available in many varieties – is that it’s a biennial, meaning it spends its first year growing, goes dormant in winter, and then returns and flowers the following spring – before dying. Reportedly, that life cycle can be abbreviated in Central Florida by sowing seeds now, instead of in spring. The plants that result may – with luck – flower next spring, flaunting their marvelous pink, red or white blossoms before dying as the temperatures rise.
TREES TO PLANT
Trees can be planted and transplanted year-round in Central Florida. Right now is a good time if you can irrigate them regularly until the rainy season resumes next summer. Options include flowering trees such as tabebuia, jacaranda and magnolia, as well as fruiting trees like loquat and lychee. Among native shade trees are live oak, sycamore, red maple, sweetgum and bald cypress.
This article originally appeared on The Ledger: WEEKEND PLANTINGS
