Dianthus Pretty Poppers® 'Goody Gumdrops'

Dianthus Pretty Poppers® 'Goody Gumdrops': Fuchsia Candy That Spreads Out Low

'Goody Gumdrops' looks like it raided the candy aisle and spread the loot across the garden. Fuchsia flowers with a deep red eye cover a low, spreading mat, smelling spicy enough to keep the sugar rush honest. NO CAVITIES. ALL TREATS.

Plant Characteristics:

• Botanical Name: Dianthus hybrid
• Common Name: Pinks
• Series: Pretty Poppers®, from Walters Gardens
• Height: 20–25 cm (8–10 in)
• Spread: 41–46 cm (16–18 in)
• Flowers: Semi-double, fuchsia pink flowers with a deep red eye and a spicy fragrance
• Bloom Time: Early summer, with rebloom into early fall (June to September)
• Foliage: Blue-green, evergreen, forming a low, spreading mat
• Features: Fragrant flowers and foliage, salt tolerant
• Plant Patent: USPP 32,591

Where to Plant: Its wide habit makes it a good small-scale groundcover for a sunny slope, a rock garden or the front of a border. It also spills nicely over the edge of a container or a low wall. Thanks to its salt tolerance, it's a reliable choice along walkways and driveways that see winter salt.

Companion Plants: Paeonia 'Duchesse de Nemours' gives white peony blooms in May and June, a soft backdrop as the pinks start flowering. Polemonium 'Apricot Delight' adds apricot flowers and ferny leaves in June and July. For late colour, Solidago 'Little Miss Sunshine' stays compact at 30 to 45 cm and flowers yellow from July to October. The trio suits full sun or partial sun and keeps something in bloom from spring to fall.

Plant Care: Plant in full sun to part sun, in average, well-drained soil that is neutral to alkaline. Wet winter soil is the usual cause of trouble, so mix grit into heavy clay or plant on a gentle mound. Water regularly through the first season, then only in prolonged dry weather. Shear off spent flowers after the first flush to tidy the mat and encourage rebloom. Leave the foliage over winter and clean up in spring. Divide every few years if the middle starts to thin.

History: 'Goody Gumdrops' was bred by Hans Hansen at Walters Gardens in Zeeland, Michigan, from a 2012 cross between Dianthus 'Devon Esther' and 'Devon PP'. It was selected as a seedling in 2014 for its wide, low habit and red-eyed flowers.

Final Thoughts: Let it spill along the front of a sunny bed and dare anybody to walk by without grinning. THE SWEET TOOTH HAS BEEN SATISFIED.