Correction about Vinca Jams ‘N Jellies Blackberry

In my last post about the new AAS winner Vinca Jams N Jellies Blackberry, I’d stated that it is a F1 hybrid. Well, I’ve just learned that I was mistaken, JNJ Blackberry is an open pollinated variety. So I wanted to set the record straight to my readers. How will this variety perform under cooler growing environments? We trialed this variety for two years here in Rochester and it performed quite well throughout the summer up to the end of September when we removed the plants from our garden beds. So I have no doubt that it’ll thrive throughout the gardening season. The bottom line is I’m still sold on this garden vinca because of its novel color and performance.

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Posted by Harris Seeds Ornamentals at 4:44 PM

A Black Vinca – No Way!

All-America Selections just announced a new AAS winner last week at its Annual Open Meeting in Tampa, Florida. Vinca Jams N Jellies Blackberry is a very cool, novel garden Vinca that will attract both garden groupies and novices alike. Alright, it’s not black, but it’s such a dark purple it’s pretty darn close! The unique velvety deep purple flower color drew a number of positive comments from both judges and visitors to the various AAS trials across the country. As an AAS flower judge myself, I’m always drawn to high performing and unique varieties, so I was very happy to see it win an award.

It was a little difficult to see its true potential when we looked at it in the field trials because the dark flowers blended so closely with the soil. To create the most impact I recommend growing it with other annuals that have nice contrasting flower colors. Try pairing it with white vinca, or perhaps other heat loving varieties that are bright pink or lavender.

Plant height is 14-16” and figure on 10-12” garden spacing. Blooms are about 2” wide with overlapping petals. Most Vinca thrive in hot sunny areas, but because JNJ Blackberry is a F1 hybrid its tolerance towards a cooler growing environment is greater than open pollinated varieties. That’s a real plus for those of us who live in the north.

If you like fun and funky flowers, definitely give this new variety a whirl and let me know what you think. We’ve just put it up on our website so seed is available for sale!

Image courtesy of All-America Selections

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Posted by Harris Seeds Ornamentals at 8:30 AM