Garden pinks used to be called gillyflowers.
Pinks are one of the many varieties of dianthus. The species also includes Sweet William, carnation, and China pinks.
I prefer simple garden pinks with their strong scent of cloves. Their dainty flowers are charming and the colors are pleasant without being overpowering.
Garden pinks gave their name to the color. “Pink” is an old word that means to cut jagged edges, just like the edges of their petals. Eventually it came to symbolize the color of their flowers, not the shape.
Dianthus are native to Europe and Asia but have naturalized all over the Northern Hemisphere.
Plant pinks in rich, well-drained soil in full sun. Space plants about 12 inches apart. They are widely available as spring bedding plants, although I’ve had success direct seeding them in early spring. Direct seeded plants will bloom in mid to late July.
Pinks only grow about 12 to 18 inches high and make good edging plants for flower beds. Their foliage stays evergreen and their lance-like leaves contrast nicely with other plants.
Some varieties are annual, some biennial, some perennial. I once planted seeds of an annual garden pink, similar to the photo above. When the growing season was over, they somehow got left in the flower garden and went through winter unprotected.
The following spring they greened-up right away and were blooming by late May. They lived for several years.
But they were labeled annual pinks.
I love it when being a lazy gardener brings an unexpected bonus.
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