Dianthus 'Paint the Town Magenta'

Dianthus 'Paint the Town Magenta': Hot Magenta for the Hottest Curb

Your sunbaked strip by the curb? 'Paint the Town Magenta' calls that the VIP SECTION. Magenta-pink flowers over blue mounds, sipping almost nothing and acting like the hottest corner of the yard was reserved in its name.

Plant Characteristics:

• Botanical Name: Dianthus hybrid
• Common Name: Pinks
• Series: Paint the Town series, a Proven Winners® perennial
• Height: 15–20 cm (6–8 in)
• Spread: 30–36 cm (12–14 in)
• Flowers: Single, magenta-pink flowers about 2–2.5 cm (¾–1 in) across, with deeply serrated petals and a light fragrance
• Bloom Time: Early summer, with rebloom into early fall after shearing (June to September)
• Foliage: Glaucous blue, evergreen, forming a low mound
• Features: Heat and salt tolerant, fragrant flowers and foliage

Where to Plant: It is a natural edger for sunny walks and the front of the border, and it also fits rock gardens, gravel beds and containers. Its salt tolerance helps along driveways and city sidewalks.

Companion Plants: Plant 'Paint the Town Magenta' in a sunny, dry bed with low succulents and rose coneflowers. Sedum 'Fulda Glow' creeps at 5 to 10 cm with bronze leaves and red flowers from July to September. Lewisia 'Rainbow' adds funnel-shaped flowers in mixed colours at 15 to 25 cm in May and June. Echinacea 'Prairie Splendor' brings rose-magenta coneflowers at 45 to 60 cm from June to September. Schizachyrium scoparium stands behind at 60 to 120 cm, blue-green in summer and copper-red in fall.

Plant Care: Plant in full sun to part sun in average, well-drained soil, ideally neutral to alkaline. Pinks dislike wet feet, especially in winter, so lighten heavy clay with grit or set the plant slightly high. Water regularly the first season, then only in long dry spells. Shear lightly after the first flush of flowers to tidy the plant and encourage a second round. Leave the foliage standing over winter and clean up in spring. Divide every few years if the centre gets thin.

History: 'Paint the Town Magenta' was bred and introduced by Walters Gardens in Zeeland, Michigan, as part of the Paint the Town line of Proven Winners® pinks. It was a Michigan State University Top Performer in 2022.

Final Thoughts: Plant a row where the lawn keeps giving up. THE CURB HAS NEVER LOOKED THIS EXPENSIVE.