Dianthus in Bloom

Great joy comes to me seeing these beautiful troughs in bloom! I went a little crazy with the dianthus last fall and the pay off is now! The sorrowful aspect for me is that I am on the road for the summer and have been able to enjoy these beauties thanks my son, who is keeping them, and my friend Chris, who is tending them.

Dianthus gratianopolitanus 'Firewitch'

Elsewhere . . . 

I render close-ups shots I took of dianthus growing in the formal gardens at the Biltmore Estate, in Asheville, NC.

Dianthus gratianopolitanus' Spotty'

Helpful Thots on Dianthus:

The quintessential cottage flower, pinks are treasured for their grasslike blue-green foliage and abundant starry flowers, which are often spicily fragrant. Depending on the type of pink, flowers appear in spring or summer and tend to be pink, red, white, rose, or lavender, but come in nearly all shades except true blue. Plants range from tiny creeping groundcovers to 30-inch-tall cut flowers, which are a favorite with florists. Foliage is blue-green. (Better Homes & Gardens)

Light: Sun,Part Sun
Zones: 3-10
Plant Type: PerennialPlant
Height:4-30 inches tall
Plant Width:4-18 inche s wide
Landscape Uses: Containers, Beds & Borders,Slopes, Groundcover
Special Features: Flowers, Attractive Foliage, Fragrant, Cut Flowers, Dried Flowers,
Misc.: Attracts Hummingbirds, butterflies, drought Tolerant, deer resistant, easy to grow

Trough of the Week: Lilly

Lilly shines in a 14" x 14" trough

Question: What do you see in the picture above?

Answer: A universe of decisions. Meet Lilly Trough. Helping her reach her beauty -- even as she is rockin' it  in her non-blooming season -- was complicated.

First decision: I had to determine the size and shape of the trough mold I used. (Did I want edges? A circle? Oblong?)

Second decision: Proportions of the respective ingredients for the trough (cement, peat & perlite). In this particular trough I used less peat since -- another decision -- I attached a screened bottom, instead of  cement with drainage holes. (The screened bottom diminishes the weight of the trough and enhances good drainage - - a must for the sustainable trough garden).

Third decision: Proportions for the soil mix specific to the plants in this trough. Which brings me to the

Fourth decision: The plants. This trough has been made for full sun  ~ standard rock-garden fare. This means the soil mix must be a healthy gritty mix of a little compost, sand -- maybe even grit or small gravel. These hard-core stone-croppers thrive in harsh conditions, which is why I love Lilly. Her respective parts include:
     Upper right corner: Cerastium tomentosum ~ Snow-in-summer. (Blooms white flowers in summer)
     Lower right corner: Dianthus gratianopolitanus 'Bath's Pink' (Blooms pink in summer)
     Center: Sedum acre 'Golden Carpet' (Blooms yellow in summer)
     Lower left corner: Sempervivum arachnoideum tomentosum

Even off-season, Lilly shines! She's edgy, with a center of warmth, a good solid mix-up of moods and expressions, and she's got attitude.  She can be yours.

Fifth decision: What's she worth? Contact me here if your are interested.