Dianthus adds a delightful touch of joy to any garden
Dianthus is probably the most popular perennial for many reasons. First, it blooms flawlessly the middle of June when gardens are at peak performance. Second, dianthus adds masses of pinks, reds, corals, fuschias and white colors that add zing to a garden. Third, the petite size of dianthus surprisingly fills the garden with a powerful, spicy, perfumed fragrance.
Two of the outstanding dianthus for cold and drought climates like western high valley gardens are first; the Perennial Plant of the Year winning dianthus called ‘Firewitch’ and second, a hybrid dianthus named ‘First Love’.
Dianthus, ‘Firewitch’ is a member of the Cheddar Pink or gratianopolitanus family, the longest-living, hardiest and most easily available dianthus on the market. ‘Firewitch’ grows dense tufts of silvery-grayish blue spiky foliage that stays semi-evergreen during winter. The magenta/raspberry-colored flowers smother the entire bush with fragrant, single or double “pinked” edged blooms. The versatility of ‘Firewitch’ makes it at home anyplace it is planted. Along a border, this dianthus gives the garden a tidy structure even when not in bloom. A shearing of the spent flowers will give a late rebloom of ‘Firewitch’.
Dianthus are known for their drought tolerance so ‘Firewitch’ is a nice touch to rock gardens or a rock wall where water drains readily. It also looks comfortable in a formal garden due to its tidy petite size. Its old-fashioned charm brings a natural addition to a cottage garden.
Dianthus ‘First Love’ is a hybrid perennial that grows from ten to fifteen inches tall.‘First Love’s foliage is green and grassy looking. ‘First Love’s’ strongest trait is its constant succession. It blooms May thru November without deadheading. The early season flowers mainly bloom a creamy white and as the season progresses their color intensifies to pink and magenta. The two photos below help illustrate:
Photo 2 shows ‘First Love’ blooming in October. The Guardian delphiniums, a shorter, sturdier delphinium that does not require staking, were deadheaded when they finished blooming in July and are blooming again in this fall garden. ‘First Love’ has never stopped flowering and is a great accent for the blooming Autumn Joy sedum in the upper right hand corner and the Wood’s Pink asters at the bottom edge of the flower garden.
The family of dianthus are all look-alikes and smell wonderfully sweet, but ‘Firewitch’ and ‘First Love’ are my favorites. After growing these two lovely perennials I’m sure every gardener will agree.
