Dianthus Rockin'™ Red

Dianthus Rockin'™ Red: Sweet William With the Amp Turned Up

Vivid red clusters with lacy, fringed edges, like somebody dipped a doily in hot sauce. This sweet William plays loud, plays long and gets the butterflies out of their seats. TURN IT UP. THE NEIGHBOURS CAN COMPLAIN LATER.

Plant Characteristics:

• Botanical Name: Dianthus × barbatus interspecific hybrid
• Common Name: Sweet William
• Series: Rockin'™, from PanAmerican Seed (cultivar code PAS1141436)
• Height: 45–60 cm (18–24 in)
• Spread: 25–30 cm (10–12 in)
• Flowers: Clusters of single, vivid red flowers with lacy, fringed petals and a light scent
• Bloom Time: Early summer to early fall, with more flowers when deadheaded (June to September)
• Foliage: Narrow, deep green leaves in a dense clump
• Features: Long bloom season, good cut flower, lightly fragrant

Where to Plant: It's tall enough for the middle of a sunny border and looks best planted in groups of three or more. It also works in large mixed containers and cutting gardens. Keep it out of low, wet corners, since clay soil that stays soggy in winter is hard on it.

Companion Plants: Use 'Rockin' Red' in a sunny, dry bed with silver leaves, carmine coneflowers and a red-bladed grass. Phlox 'Emerald Blue' carpets the front at 10 to 15 cm with lavender-blue flowers in May and June. Stachys 'Silver Carpet' adds woolly silver leaves at 10 to 15 cm. Echinacea 'Magnus Superior' brings carmine-pink coneflowers at 90 to 100 cm from July to September. Imperata 'Red Baron' adds upright blades that turn blood red, at 45 to 50 cm.

Plant Care: Plant in full sun to part sun, in well-drained soil that is neutral to slightly alkaline. Full sun gives the best colour and the most flowers. In heavy clay, add grit or compost to improve drainage, or plant on a slight rise. Water regularly while it settles in, then during dry spells. Deadhead spent flower clusters to keep new buds coming through summer. Cut it back and tidy the clump in early spring. Like most Sweet William, it can be short-lived, so plan on refreshing the planting every few years.

History: Sweet William, Dianthus barbatus, is native to the mountains of southern Europe and is traditionally a biennial. PanAmerican Seed bred the Rockin'™ series as interspecific hybrids that come back as perennials and flower in their first year.

Final Thoughts: Snip it, deadhead it, snip it again. It just keeps PLAYING THE HITS.