dianthus, pinks, carnations, and gillyflowers

I have a dear friend who has developed over the past two years a lust with dianthus. Her pots, containers of all sorts and planting beds are filled with them.
I, myself, have fallen for a few. I like the old fashioned sweetness, the clove scent, and putting them into small bedside arrangements.

One of my favorites is Charles Musgrave. It is a white (shocking for those who know me as you know I am not a white flower fan, but I have something up my sleeve for that.) This variety with its single white blooms has a mysterious green eye. I can groove on that. It, when not wind blown, blooms in stems 10-12 inches long. I think this may be one of the sweetest 'glaring' flowers I truly enjoy.

Another Dianthus I seem to like the looks of is a variegated bloomer named Chomley Farran. This oddity with its smokey mauve purple blossoms striped and splashed with a hot cherry pink, or is it more like some sort of Barbified blossom of couture fashion?

There are many great hardy Dianthus out there, many great hardy annual varieties as well. I think we all have favorites. I still enjoy the darkness of Dianthus barbatus nigrescens 'Sooty' and some the great new introductions with their silver blue foliage.

Finding the one that is right for you is the important part. We have colors we like that is true, but ones that are good for your garden without having to reconstruct bed and tear into established plantings.

I must say one of the things I find admirable about my friend is that she has so many containerized. She can move them at whim, enjoy them at table, smell them on her patio or front step. I guess I have been too busy stuffing containers with annuals and tropicals that I missed this little idea to make something you enjoy more accessible.

Hardy Geraniums..not those red things in window boxes

Geranium Rozanne - Perennial Plant of the Year 2008

OK, aside from that I had my doubts.
I have never been one to use a lot of hardy geraniums, though I have the few I like, but those were varieties that required some shade.

I was amazed that this was not some obnoxious rambler and had to see it in a few gardens before I myself was ordering in plugs and liners of this garden-worthy hardy Geranium that anyone can grow. Large 2½" saucer-shaped flowers just never quit. Glowing violet-blue blooms with white centers flower profusely from late spring until frost. Unlike many Geraniums, 'Rozanne' has great heat tolerance as well.
Plant this wonderful plant in the front of borders. Use it around daylilies and shrubs. I have a design I am working on right now where I want to use it inside boxwood hedges in a more commercial application. Think about it, I can plant thousands of bulbs. These bulbs will fill in the framework of the boxwood for a couple of months and then what do I do? Plant annuals...no! I will fill these in with Geranium 'Rozanna' and still have the great fall foliage to appreciate as well.

I just can't emphasise how usefull this plant is. I have even mixed it in with summer pots and let it fill in and bloom its little heads off.

Try it in your garden, or along a front walk. I am going to also try it at a clients house around their pool patio just for the greate amount of summer bloom as well.