Are you growing the Whetman Pinks yet? This British series from "the" name in Dianthus is just about the most flower-happy, low-maintenance set we have ever grown, and we highly recommend every variety they offer! This season we are proud to have Stargazer available, a gorgeous white-and-maroon cultivar that stands in beautiful constrast to all the pinks and reds of other Carnations.
Stargazer is such a pleasure. The first wave of blooms arises in spring in most climates, sitting a few inches above the blue-green foliage. Redolent of cloves, the single blooms are "pinked" around the petal edges, as if with shears, and each white petal boasts a maroon splash near the base. Long-lasting and bright, these flowers draw the eye in garden and container, making all the colors around them glow a little more intensely. And they are wonderful cut-flowers for a small bouquet on the breakfast table or office desk -- not to mention their signature glory, the buttonhole!
Just 4 to 6 inches high and not much wider, this perennial packs a lot of punch into very little space. After the first blooms begin in fade, shear them back and within a few weeks you may be rewarded by a second flowering! Very tolerant of adverse weather, this Garden Pink endures heat and cold, wind and rain, without dropping a leaf. Expect it back for many seasons! Zones 5-9.
