I have nothing against periwinkle (Vinca minor) despite its reputation as an invasive. Its seeds are not carried into the wild, and in the garden, it covers only as much ground as it’s given while it serves to minimize weed growth.

While periwinkle’s spring flowers and a yellow leafed form are enjoyed in the shaded rear garden, I recently ripped out a small section bordering the circle patio (referred to as the writing patio since this is where many journal updates are written while lounging on the Adirondack chairs in the bright shade where there is often a cooling breeze).

The patio was dug into a slope, so the upper sides are retained by a mix of boulders. To one side, crevices have been planted with miniature hostas, foam flower (Tiarella), coral bells (Heuchera), and ferns (above). I like the look and decided to expose the boulders on the steeper slope covered by periwinkle.

The removal of periwinkle was a bit more difficult than anticipated. The loose fill behind the boulders encouraged a deep mat of roots, but I dug and tugged, and I guess I was somewhat surprised to find several larger boulders along with a few small ones. As the area was cleared, I began to envision the planting and chopped further back into the slope.

The planting was easy, not only the digging but selecting the plants. This is not at all like the sunny rock gardens where I planted many unfamiliar plants that thrive in gravelly soil and baking sun. I carried the theme of hostas and ferns from the other shaded boulder area, but of course, with different hostas and ferns.

I’m not certain there’s quite enough sun for the creeping thymes planted in the crevices, but I’ll know soon enough. If it works, it’s perfect to crawl over and around the rocks. The hostas and ferns, and the dark leafed astilbe should be well suited to the shade and  deep soil.