Culture
Easily grown in average, medium moisture, well-drained soils in full sun. Prefers fertile, slightly alkaline, loose, somewhat gritty loams with good drainage. Add lime to acidic soils to adjust the soil pH. Best grown with regular and consistent moisture during the growing season. Plants may die out in the center, however, if drainage is not superior. Mulch will help conserve moisture and keep roots cooler in summer. Deadhead spent flowers to encourage additional bloom. Consider shearing plants back after the main flush of bloom in order to tidy the planting and to promote additional bloom in late summer or early fall. BOUQUET ROSE MAGIC may be planted in fall as a biennial in warm southern climates (USDA Zones 8-9) as is done with pansies. Fall-planted dianthus will usually not bloom in winter, but the foliage stays green and blooms begin to appear in early spring. BOUQUET ROSE MAGIC may also be planted as an annual in early spring in any growing zone (plants are often available in six packs). Seed for this hybrid may be purchased from reliable seed distributors, but self-seeded plants often do not come true.
Noteworthy Characteristics
Bedding dianthus, often called pinks or carnations, may be Chinese pinks (Dianthus chinensis) or a hybrid of Chinese pinks with sweet William (D. barbatus). When crossed, these two species produce an interspecific hybrid, commonly called hybrid pink, which can be used as a vigorous annual, flowering from seed, with superior performance to both species regarding length of flower production and heat/frost tolerance. These plants can also be quite hardy, and grown as perennials, but are often shorter lived than other dianthus hybrids. Bedding dianthus often have medium green leaves that are wider compared to perennial dianthus cultivars.
Genus name comes from the Greek words dios meaning divine and anthos meaning flower.
The common name of pink for plants in the genus Dianthus is in probable reference to the fringed flower petal margins (they appear to have been cut with pinking shears) and not to flower color.
BOUQUET ROSE MAGIC is a seed-propagated interspecific F-1 hybrid dianthus that is now being sold in commerce as part of the BOUQUET SERIES (Dianthus BOUQUET PURPLE was introduced in 2001). It is a tall dianthus that produces mildly fragrant flowers (1.5" diameter) with serrated petal edges on strong upright stems rising to 18-24" tall. Dominant color of mature flowers is a deep rose pink, but flowers emerge white before gradually darkening to light pink and finally deep rose pink as they age. A single plant may have flowers displaying several different colors in the white-to-rose pink spectrum at the same time. Flowers bloom from late spring to early summer with continued but somewhat sporadic additional bloom to fall. Lanceolate, blue-green leaves. Genus name comes from the Greek words dios (divine) and anthos (flower). The common name of pink for some plants in the genus Dianthus is in probable reference to the flower petal margins (they appear to have been cut with pinking shears) and not to flower color.
Problems
Dianthus is generally susceptible to crown rot, particularly if grown in wet, poorly drained soils. Leaf spot may occur in humid summers, particularly where plants are crowded. Powdery mildew can be a problem in some areas.
Uses
Beds, borders, fragrance gardens, cutting gardens and containers. Excellent cut flower. May be grown as a biennial or annual.