Angel of Purity Dianthus

If you are an older gardener you will remember the time when carnations had a rich perfume. Yes, it’s true – the scent of carnations was as important as their color, but today it is rare or completely lost. To recapture that heavenly scent, celebrated by poets and perfume makers, grow the Scent from Heaven™ Angel of Purity Dianthus. A classic ‘pink’ as these plants are often called, it forms a dense mat of beautiful silver-blue evergreen foliage. In late spring it is covered with frilly, pure-white flowers that create a stylish beauty with the silver foliage – and most importantly, have the most wonderful rich perfume, a unique spiciness, featuring the warm fragrance of cloves. It will drift through the air as you pass by, or for the full effect, bend down and bury your face in it – true heaven on earth. Plant it on sunny slopes and in a rock garden, or at the front of your perennial beds. It is great along a path or around a paved area, where the spreading mat – 12 to 18 inches across – will soften the hard lines and beautify your garden. The main flowering is in late spring, with more blooms through summer and again in fall. Bred to tolerate heat and humidity, so a great choice for southern gardens.

• Pure white blooms grow from a low mat of silver-blue foliage
• Flowers in late spring, and again through summer and early fall
• A beautiful ground-hugging mat of evergreen, silver-blue foliage
• Strongly perfumed, with the classic fragrance of cloves
• Excellent for edging beds, on rock gardens or along a path

Grow the Angel of Purity Dianthus right out in full sun, where it will reward you will an abundance of blooms. Plant in any well-drained soil – it enjoys sands and gravels, and does best in alkaline soil and limestone. If you have acidic soil, add some garden lime to the earth when planting. It isn’t eaten by deer or by rabbits, and almost never has pests or diseases, making it very easy to grow, even for new gardeners. Don’t trim in fall as you do with most perennials. Instead, trim lightly after the main spring flowering, and remove later blooms individually as they fade. This leaves the handsome foliage for winter color and interest, and ensures maximum blooming.