Vinca Jams 'N Jellies Blackberry

Winner of a 2012 All-America Selection Flower award, Jams 'N Jellies Blackberry is an exceptionally vigorous, attractive Vinca. The dark hues stand out brilliantly against tiny white eyes on these 2-inch blooms, which begin in early summer and continue until frost.

The foliage is handsome as well. Bright green, lush, and glossy, it offers the perfect backdrop for the charcoal hues. And because Jams 'N Jellies Blackberry is quite tolerant of heat and drought, both the flowers and the foliage remains fresh and vibrant even during the dog days of August.

This plant is compact but well-branched and bushy, reaching 10 to 14 inches high and 10 to 12 inches wide. An annual, it is ideal for sunny to partly shaded (in warmer climates) beds as well as containers. Very low-maintenance and easy to care for, it blooms in waves for many months.

Give this award-winner a try this season! Starting the seed is easy: begin about 11 weeks before the last scheduled frost in your area. Pop the seeds into the Bio Dome with the dome kept on (humidity should be as high as possible). They will germinate super-quick -- 3 to 5 days is standard when they're kept at a temperature of 75 to 78 degrees F. Then grow them on with the dome removed at anywhere from 65 to 75 degrees. By the time they're about 5 weeks old, they'll need to be potted up. Keep them indoors under grow lights or in a sunny window for an additional 5 to 6 weeks, then transplant after all danger of frost is past. You're going to love the velvety va-va-va-voom of this Vinca! Pkt is 20 seeds.