Dianthus 'Sweetness'

The fringed, dark-eyed blooms are about 1½ inches wide, set atop foliage that reaches just 4 inches high. (The blooms and their stems add another 2 to 4 inches of height.) Radiantly bright, these flowers would be eye-catching even if they didn't lure you in by the nose first, their sweet floral scent absolutely irresistible. Be sure to grow several plants just to use for cut flowers -- you'll want a nosegay of 'Sweetness' for the breakfast table every morning!

'Sweetness' is a Dianthus plumarius, a species that has never before bloomed the first year from seed. This means you can sow it in February and begin enjoying flowers in May! In most climates the blooms will begin in late spring and continue through about midsummer, but in cooler areas you may find them beginning a bit later and then lasting up until October. Either way, expect at least 3 months of beauty from 'Sweetness' -- far more than most Garden Pinks can muster!

'Sweetness' spreads about a foot wide in the sunny garden, its grass-like gray-green foliage forming a dense, weed-choking mat that serves as an effective groundcover in large plantings. It needs full sunshine and good soil drainage, but other than that is quite unfussy about conditions. It makes a good erosion-prevention plant on slopes and banks, and is a lovely edging, front-of-the-border standout, and container choice. Let's face it--you can't go wrong with this ultra-fragrant, ultra-heavy-blooming beauty!

Introduced in Europe, 'Sweetness' immediately won the Fleuroselect Quality Mark (Europe's highest honor for seed). Sow it indoors in late winter. It will be ready to transplant after about 6 weeks (after last anticipated frost), and will begin blooming shortly thereafter! What a breakthrough for D. plumarius -- and for your garden! Zones 4-8. Pkt is 50 seeds.