This year was one of the warmest on record (2015 lost but only by a fraction of a degree). That may be why I am seeing so many green plants emerging from under the snow. This periwinkle is untouched by the winter. It was here when we bought the house and, judging by the thick mat, it could have been here since 1945 when our house was built. The original owners were somehow connected to the landscaping services at the UofA and I keep finding interesting plants throughout the garden. Many are dwarfed and covered with vegetation but not this periwinkle, it’s getting ready to take over the front yard.

Periwinkle originates in the Mediterranean. That’s hard to believe as it’s one of the hardiest plants through the prairie winter. In fact, it’s a bit too hardy. When planted in any flowerbed it starts to take over and the underground stolons are impossible to eradicate.  One reason I am fond of it is that it grows in areas where no other plant survives. A friend has it growing in a deep window-well where it gets no light at all. It’s still blooms there with brilliant blue flowers.