I bought this lovely delicate star-shaped Vinca oxyloba at the Garden Museum‘s plant fair this weekend. It actually grows in their garden and this is from their own stall. It’s a new plant to me and one I’ll be using again and again.
I’ve grown to love vincas over the years for their ability to colonise the most difficult of shady areas and to surprise me with flowers when least expected.
Herbal Haven was the nursery that originally lured me to the plant fair, and I stocked up on African basil (and some other tasty plants) for the year ahead. Not only are the leaves absolutely delicious, but the gorgeous pink spires of flowers will attract bees all summer long. Herbal Haven offer a great online shopping service too with a fantastic selection of herbs, and The Garden Museum will be opening its doors again for the Heroic Herbs Fair on June 1st.
I LOVE that vinca and it’s new to me too. It’s such a good blue against the fresh green leaf and yes they are useful plants for difficult corners.
I LOVE that African basil! If I’d have known you were going I would have asked you to get me some. I love it when it’s finally time to buy that, and lemon verbena – it means that summer has arrived.
Hi Sue and Veronica, a lot of plant LOVE going on here! And quite right too. Both absolutety wonderful plants.
Veronica-still not quite warm enough to plant the African basil outside, but soon hopefully…..
Great blog. My lovely friend Tony Littlejohns works with Herbal Haven as a grower and seller. Pictured on the front page of their website (far right) 🙂
Hi Judith, I must admit to getting very excited about the arrival in town of Herbal Haven. It’s such a treat to have the opportunity to see (and smell) so many gorgeous herbs without travelling great distances. Hats off to the Garden Museum for organising such a lovely plant fair and many thanks to Herbal Haven (and the other choice nurseries) for delighting us Londoners!
I took my eye off the ball and missed this plant fair, Naomi. I’ll put the next one in my phone calendar straight away!
One of the borders here was planted with Vinca major and it was a real challenge to clear it. I love it’s fragility but it had completely taken over so had to go. I’ve recently learned of Vinca minor which doesn’t spread so much, although I wish I’d kept a little of the old Vinca to put in a pot somewhere. I’m growing a similar looking basil but mine is Thai basil; would be interesting to have a taste comparison!
Hi Caro, I know Vinca can be invasive, but in some difficult areas, I think that this is its strength! Mind you, I will be keeping my eye on it!
Looking forward to Thai/ African basil taste comparison too….N x
Lovely delicate looking flowers. My vincas were dispatched to the compost bin for become too invasive with their little sub-root systems.
Hi Claire, As I said to Caro, I’ll be keeping a sharp eye on this Vinca’s progression, but it’s been planted in a tricky spot (in the shade with a limited amount of soil to grow in), so I’m hoping their little root sub systems will do a little bit of spreading…….
Love vincas for those difficult spots. yes, they can be invasive, but think their good qualities outweigh the negatives. Saw a lot of these in the Sierra Nevada Mountains in Spain when I was there, they go really well under olive trees – they green and blue works well with the silvery olives!
Hi Colin, sounds like a heavenly combination…
I’m delighted that you are enjoying one of our Vinca oxyloba plants; I am one of the volunteers who you might see beavering away in the beds and borders at The Garden Museum and St Mary’s Gardens which we also look after. We have very limited space to propagate plants but still would love to know what plants our visitors would most like us to stock for sale. Our speciality of course should be plants the Tradescants introduced or at lease plants from their period; the Vincas were certainly about at that time.
Your blog is brilliant. I have just discovered it and am huge fan already.
Hi Liz, Thanks for your comment. Loved your stand, full of exciting plants to buy and grow on elsewhere.The gardens at the Garden Museum looks great every time I visit (have been a few times lately for Chelsea Fringe meetings and talks) and looking to seeing how the planting progresses throughout the summer. V,best Naomi
Re. Vinca oxyloba. I have this and know it as ‘Dartington Star’. As far as I know it has grown for years in the gardens of the Dartington Hall Trust at Totnes in Devon. A wonderful place to visit and a charity that specialises in the arts, social justice and sustainability, all started by visionaries Leonard and Dorothy Elmhirst.
Hi Geoff, Good to know more information on this gorgeous plant. Should I be down near Totness, will definitely the gardens at the Darlington Hall Trust.