For Fabulous Flowers Think Pinks

Versatile and varied, floriferous and far from fussy, dianthus offer options that are as at home in a contemporary scheme as in a classic cottage garden, says Camilla Phelps

- Camilla Phelps

Cultivated for centuries for their scented, blush-coloured flowers, in more recent years dianthus, has been dogged by a reputation for being dowdy, old-fashioned and fussy. It doesn’t help that pinks were a common sight in the rockeries and borders of 1970s gardens, while carnations became the go-to flowers for funerals. But there’s an awful lot more to dianthus than that.

From petite alpines to gorgeous sweet Williams, this is a diverse genus, members of which tick lots of boxes for the modern garden. Many are versatile plants, good for borders and containers, and with a long flowering season – from mid-summer right through until autumn. Often wonderfully scented and nectar-rich – bees and butterflies love them – longer-stemmed varieties are perfect for a home-grown bunch of flowers. The petals can even be used for cooking; try them in cakes, soups and salads.

Tougher than they look

Pinks are hardy perennials with delicate flower stems appearing over low-growing mounds of evergreen foliage. Originating in rocky habitats and alpine meadows, they are tougher than they look, and are particularly well suited to dry, sunny locations. Try them at the front of a border, in gravel gardens, terracotta pots and window boxes.

The flowers can be simple single heads but some are frilled and deeply cut, and others are many-petalled doubles. Although the common name ‘pink’ doesn’t actually relate to the colour palette – it’s thought to refer to the cut edges of the petals – many are, in fact, pink. However, colour options range from pure white through to ruby reds and plummy purples, with a number of bicoloured variations in between.