Coral Reef Dianthus

It really is all about the fragrance, when you choose the Coral Reef Dianthus. That doesn’t mean the color is out of the picture, though, because the double salmon-pink flowers, with white, serrated edges, really are gorgeous. Bring back the fragrance of old with this profuse bloomer, that begins with a big display in spring and then continues right through to fall with a steady flow of blooms. Even in winter, when out of bloom of course, the steely-blue foliage is striking, and helps to keep your winter garden interesting. Growing quickly into a compact mound no more than a foot across, the blooms, in clusters of 3 to 5 on each stem, stand above the foliage, and are easy to cut for a vase indoors – where you can enjoy the full impact of the famous spicy, clove-like scent of this plant, which is also known as a ‘pink’ because the edges of the leaves look trimmed with pinking shears. The flowers are almost 1½ inches across, and you can enjoy this plant in a rock garden, on a sunny bank, edging your perennials beds, or in pots, where you can even use it as a centerpiece on your outdoor table.

• Colorful double blooms are salmon-pink with white edges on the petals
• Generously scented with the beautiful fragrance of sweet cloves
• Silvery-blue foliage give evergreen color all year round
• Steady blooming, from spring to fall
• A new twist on a classic garden plant

Out in the full sun will suit your Coral Reef Dianthus just fine, and give you the most blooms for the longest time. Grow it in well-drained soil – these plants enjoy soils that are sandy or gravelly, and alkaline, with a pH over 7.0. If you have acidic soil it’s an easy fix – just add a handful of garden lime when preparing the planting spot. Deer and rabbits leave it alone, and it doesn’t have any serious pest or disease issues to bother about. After the first flush of blooms, trim lightly to remove flower stems and neaten the whole plant. This encourages continuing blooming, which can simply be dead-headed as needed. Don’t cut back in fall as you do for most perennials.