Dianthus 'Paint the Town Red'

Dianthus 'Paint the Town Red': Spicy Red Blooms Over Blue Foliage

The name tells you exactly how the evening is going to go. Deep magenta-red flowers on a blue-grey mound, out late, smelling faintly spicy, and somehow still up early for the bees. 'Paint the Town Red' DOES NOT NEED A RIDE HOME.

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: 41–46 cm (16–18 in)
• Flowers: Single, deep magenta-red flowers with toothed petal tips and a light spicy fragrance
• Bloom Time: Late spring to early summer, with lighter rebloom into fall (June to September)
• Foliage: Glaucous blue-grey, forming a dense, low mound that stays evergreen through mild winters
• Features: Heat and salt tolerant, fragrant flowers

Where to Plant: Use it to edge a sunny path, fill the front of a border or carpet a rock garden, since it spreads wide enough to act as a small-scale ground cover. It is happy spilling from a container and is a smart choice for curbside beds where winter salt collects.

Companion Plants: Give 'Paint the Town Red' a sunny, dry bed with chartreuse in spring and orange in summer. Euphorbia polychroma opens chartreuse-gold bracts at 30 to 45 cm in April and May. Sedum 'Summer Glory' adds deep pink flowers at 10 to 15 cm from June to August. Echinacea SunMagic® Vintage Electric Orange brings intense orange coneflowers at 45 to 60 cm from July to September. Schizachyrium Prairie Winds® 'Brush Strokes' grows to 80 to 90 cm in powder blue.

Plant Care: Plant in full sun to part sun, in average, well-drained soil. Neutral to alkaline soil suits it fine. Good drainage is the big one: soggy winter soil is the main reason pinks fail, so lighten heavy clay with grit or plant on a slight rise. Water through the first season, then only during long dry spells. Shear off the spent flowers after the main flush to tidy the plant and encourage more blooms. Leave the foliage over winter and clean it up in spring. Divide every few years if the centre opens up.

History: 'Paint the Town Red' was bred by Hans Hansen at Walters Gardens in Zeeland, Michigan, from a 2012 cross between Dianthus 'Neon Star' and 'Kahori'. It was picked out of trial seedlings in 2014 for its flower colour, compact habit and disease resistance.

Final Thoughts: The deer won't touch it, so the only one making a mess of your border is you. GO AHEAD. PAINT SOMETHING.