This is a long blooming Dianthus - one of a "Star" series.
Monday, August 08, 2005
Early August Column
The other day I suggested to my 13 year old Alex that we walk to the store for a couple of things we need as a way to get some sunshine, fresh air, (and time together). As we walked past a couple of dozen front yards I regaled her with the names of many of the plants we were passing. As usual, she was glued to my every word (ha!) She did show interest in a large mass of blooming nightshade when I informed her it was very poisonous. We cut through a long alley on the way to Dillman’s and I saw many overgrown weeds. This got me to thinking that I don’t know the names of many common weeds that I see frequently. I stood and studied a large weed and wondered aloud what the name of it was. Alex was of course attentively listening to my plant taxonomy musings (translation – she was thirty feet away walking rapidly in the opposite direction in order to get back to her PC) When I got home I found in an email from one of my gardening mailing lists (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/GardeningOrganically/) a very good guide to identifying common weeds - www.weedalert.com. What a serendipitous find! I now can identify “lamb’s quarter,” “buckhorn plantain,” “horseweed,” and more.
Last week I said I would talk about Dianthus. The word “Dianthus” comes from two Greek words - dios meaning “god” and anthos meaning “flower” – in other words – “divine flower.” Dianthus plants have been around a long time and were mentioned in the writings of an ancient Greek botanist – Theophrastus – the successor of Aristotle. In the past couple of years I have become more and more fond of this large family of blooming plants, which includes “pinks,” carnations, and Sweet Williams. I remember having tall Sweet Williams in my tiny garden when I was a child. They are easy to grow, generally needing only decent well-drained soil and lots of sun. They don’t like to stay wet – if they do – they will quickly rot and die. They are very hardy in this area and are suitable for hot sunny areas, troughs, well-drained containers, etc. Most flower in late spring and early summer for a number of weeks. Many newer varieties now flower all summer and into the fall. Some are annuals, some biennials, and most are perennials. A good portion of Dianthus are also quite fragrant – “Bath’s Pink” is one that comes to mind. Many of the blooms of the Dianthus family are pink, or variations of pink. The foliage is generally very attractive shades of blue/green or gray/green. When they become large, they may be dug up and divided. Never plant them any deeper than the crown. I have read they are easily grown from seed, but I have never done this thus far. In the past two years I have bought several varieties and one of my absolute favorites is “Helen,” which bears lots of deep salmon-pink very double blooms. Deadhead or shear back your Dianthus for an attractive appearance and extended bloom time.
It is now August and high time to be thinking about next spring. If you have never planted bulbs before in the fall, it is time to do it. If you have planted bulbs in the past, you know how rewarding it is to have these gorgeous flowers come up in spring before annuals are even in the garden store and you probably want more. I suggest you send for a few catalogs or peruse the online catalogs and start planning what you want and order by September at the latest. They will be delivered at the proper time. As an alternative one can buy bulbs locally, but I prefer the other way as one then has plenty of time to browse, decide what combinations would look good and where to plant them. A big plus – the bulbs are delivered right to your door and they offer a huge selection from which to choose. I will spend a few columns discussing different bulbs to plant. Some of my favorite bulb companies are – www.dutchgardens.com (888-821-0448), www.johnscheepers.com (860-567-08380) and www.vanengelen.com (860-567-87340). The last two are owned by the same company, but Van Engelen offers larger quantities at wholesale prices (with no pictures, only botanical names and also descriptions).
Last week I said I would talk about Dianthus. The word “Dianthus” comes from two Greek words - dios meaning “god” and anthos meaning “flower” – in other words – “divine flower.” Dianthus plants have been around a long time and were mentioned in the writings of an ancient Greek botanist – Theophrastus – the successor of Aristotle. In the past couple of years I have become more and more fond of this large family of blooming plants, which includes “pinks,” carnations, and Sweet Williams. I remember having tall Sweet Williams in my tiny garden when I was a child. They are easy to grow, generally needing only decent well-drained soil and lots of sun. They don’t like to stay wet – if they do – they will quickly rot and die. They are very hardy in this area and are suitable for hot sunny areas, troughs, well-drained containers, etc. Most flower in late spring and early summer for a number of weeks. Many newer varieties now flower all summer and into the fall. Some are annuals, some biennials, and most are perennials. A good portion of Dianthus are also quite fragrant – “Bath’s Pink” is one that comes to mind. Many of the blooms of the Dianthus family are pink, or variations of pink. The foliage is generally very attractive shades of blue/green or gray/green. When they become large, they may be dug up and divided. Never plant them any deeper than the crown. I have read they are easily grown from seed, but I have never done this thus far. In the past two years I have bought several varieties and one of my absolute favorites is “Helen,” which bears lots of deep salmon-pink very double blooms. Deadhead or shear back your Dianthus for an attractive appearance and extended bloom time.
It is now August and high time to be thinking about next spring. If you have never planted bulbs before in the fall, it is time to do it. If you have planted bulbs in the past, you know how rewarding it is to have these gorgeous flowers come up in spring before annuals are even in the garden store and you probably want more. I suggest you send for a few catalogs or peruse the online catalogs and start planning what you want and order by September at the latest. They will be delivered at the proper time. As an alternative one can buy bulbs locally, but I prefer the other way as one then has plenty of time to browse, decide what combinations would look good and where to plant them. A big plus – the bulbs are delivered right to your door and they offer a huge selection from which to choose. I will spend a few columns discussing different bulbs to plant. Some of my favorite bulb companies are – www.dutchgardens.com (888-821-0448), www.johnscheepers.com (860-567-08380) and www.vanengelen.com (860-567-87340). The last two are owned by the same company, but Van Engelen offers larger quantities at wholesale prices (with no pictures, only botanical names and also descriptions).
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