Dianthus, the garden pinks

Dianthus is a beautiful small perennial, part of the Caryophyllaceae family.

Remember these Dianthus facts

Name – Dianthus
Family – Caryophyllaceae
Type – perennial, annual or biennial

Height – 6 to 8 inches (15 to 20 cm)
Exposure – full sun

Soil: ordinary  –  Flowering: end of spring to early fall

Nicknamed the Flower of the Gods, this is most certainly due to the amazing beauty of its flowers. It is excellent to decorate gardens.

Planting dianthus

Dianthus loves warm and sunny spots, it’s important for beautiful blooming.

• When planting, dip the clump in water for a minute or two before settling it in a blend of soil mix and garden soil.

If planting in garden boxes or pots, better to use only soil mix.

• Planting can be done indifferently in fall or in spring, carefully keeping a space of 8/10 inches (20/25 cm) between plants.
• Cuttings from dianthus stems is easy to succeed in starting from the month of May.
• They can also be multiplied through crown division in fall.

Sowing Dianthus from seed

Sowing dianthus is best when performed in February, indoors. Ideal temperatures are around 70°F (20°C).

• Bury the seed under somewhat with your thumb, and cover with soil mix.
• Sprouting should occur after 8 to 10 days.
• Keep the substrate a little moist and water with lukewarm water.
• After the sprouting, move the seedlings to a slightly cooler spot, ideally around 55°F (12°C).

Pruning and caring for dianthus

Dianthus is very resilient and only requires little care, at most simply removing wilted flowers as they come and go.

Note that dianthus resists particularly well to drought and normally doesn’t require any water.

• To stimulate appearance of new flowers, cut wilted flowers regularly (deadheading).
• Water in case of prolonged dry spells or heat wave only.

All there is to know about dianthus

“Dianthus” comes from the ancient Greek word “Dios” which stood for Zeus and Jupiter (for Romans), combined with the word “anthos” to produce the phrase “Flower of the Gods”, most certainly because this flower is so appealing to the eye.

The vast range of Dianthus varieties offers just as vast an array of possible colors.

This small perennial is nonetheless always very generous in flowering and it helps to furnish your flower beds, edges, low walls, rocky surfaces and garden boxes.

With bright colors and very fragrant, seize the opportunity of mixing several species within the same flower bed.

• Note that it grows really fast.
• If quickly overtakes any weeds.

Note that these days, it’s possible to find among the many carnation breeds. Several of these resist both frost and summer heat, such as sweet william carnation and China pink hybrids.