Tattoo™ Black Cherry Vinca Seeds

Here's a brand-new look for vinca you'll simply love: every bright bloom is "inked" around the center, as if it had eyelashes. Really eye-catching even in a small planting, the look is enhanced by large, overlapping petals on upright, bushy, well-branched plants. Tattoo will make you sit up and take notice.

Far more resistant to heat and sun than older varieties, Tattoo is also completely immune to the dreaded Phytophthora. It takes off quickly in spring, setting the first blooms before summer arrives, and then continuing all season. You will love it in those areas of dappled shade beneath trees and wending along garden paths.

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 on to increase the humidity level. The seeds will germinate super-quick—3 to 5 days is standard when they're kept at a temperature of 75 to 78 degrees Fahrenheit. 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, pinching them when they have 4 to 6 true leaves (to stimulate more side branching for a fuller, more flower-filled plant). Transplant into the full-sun garden or containers after all danger of frost is past. Enjoy this exciting vinca.