Visit any garden center in spring and among the first offerings for sale are flats of China pinks, Cheddar pinks and Sweet Williams, all forms of Dianthus known collectively as “garden pinks.” Ancient posies from Europe and Asia in the carnation family, the fringed blossoms were called gilliflowers in old texts and in Roman times, Jove’s flower.
The carnation connection is obvious: Pinks and Sweet Williams look for all the world like miniature carnations and are beloved for the same reasons: a sweet clove scent, strong essential oils and perky good looks on long stems, perfect for arrangements. (“Pinks” refers to their frilled or ragged petal edges as if cut with pinking shears, not the color.)
A distant cousin, rose campion (Lychnis or Silene coronaria) is another old flower dating from the 1600s. Native to Europe, campion was brought to the New World by the colonists. In fact the first mention of it growing in America is in Thomas Jefferson’s garden book, according to Monticello. It can be found there today in the estate’s restored gardens.
Pinks, sweet williams and campion are all easy flowers to grow as long as they get plenty of sun and well-drained, slightly alkaline soil. Here’s what to know.
Pinks
Sweet Williams (Dianthus barbatus) or the “bearded carnation” gets two feet tall with clustered flowerheads atop tufted bracts (the beard). It is a popular spring biennial. The flowers are often patterned in shades of burgundy, pink, white and red. I’ve never grown sweet william but many people adore it. A lovely choice for an informal or cottage garden.
China Pinks (Dianthus chinensis) are flat single blooms, similarly colored but with a distinct central eye. Cheddar pinks (Dianthus gratianopolitanus) are named for the Cheddar Gorge in England. All are native to exposed, rocky bluffs in Europe, Russia, Asia and parts of Africa. In addition to the species there are now many hybrids on the market, making for a dizzying array of choices.
I used to grow a Cheddar called Bath’s Pink, but an especially wet year finally did them in. That said, Bath’s pinks are hardier than most, often doing well where others would struggle. When massed, Bath’s exude a lovely clove scent, especially at dusk and dawn. If you love the scent of carnations, these dainty treasures won’t disappoint.
Another reason I like Bath’s is that the floral display looks natural rather than forced or hybridized. (I find some of the hybrids to be quite artificial looking.) Out of bloom, the silvery foliage forms a semi-evergreen clump. Just trim off the spent flowers and enjoy it as a groundcover the rest of the summer. I prize the foliage for its wonderful textural accent.
Bath’s Pink ia hard to find locally now, upstaged by flashier hybrids, but is still available by mail order if you seek it out. Personally I think it’s the best-performing, most long-lived pink around. (I’ve had clumps last a decade or more.) I highly recommend Bath’s if you can find it. Just be sure it has excellent drainage and a protected, southern exposure.
Other hybrid pinks
I also grow Rose de Mai, a lovely double dianthus hybrid. Quarter-sized rich pink, carnation-like flowers give it excellent presence. However, very wet winters and high heat are hard on pinks. Superb drainage is a must, and don’t let Rose de Mai or any hybrid dry out entirely. Being biennial it has a short life, but it’s a beautiful cultivar. Try it in a well-drained spot.
There are many hybrids in every shade of pink, white and red imaginable, some hardier than others; most will need replenishment every few years. Still, it’s easy to see how pinks have charmed generations of gardeners down through history, with their exquisite scent and exuberant display.
Just as the pinks are finishing, a similar-looking cousin takes up the banner and keeps the color coming: it’s campion, or rose campion. By planting both pinks and campion you can have near-continuous blooms all season long.
Rose Campion – A Summer-Flowering Champ
Rose campion opens in May here, with its heaviest output in June. Despite the “rose” in its name, its color is usually a saturated magenta or a clean white. With light deadheading the flowers keep going sporadically all summer. I love campion because it takes the summer sun in stride, staying perky through the hottest July days and rarely needs watering.
As noted above, campion often resembles extra-tall pinks at first glance. Being in the same family that’s not surprising. Silvery clumps of ovate leaves send up knobby stems the second year, topped with single penny-sized blooms without fringing. Campion is indefatigably cheerful, its bright flushes of color lighting up the summer landscape. (The Latin name coronaria means being worn in the hair, an old custom.)
Campion is biennial, meaning it does not bloom its first year. It is a short-lived perennial at best, forming fuzzy silver basal rosettes the first season, then blooming prodigiously the second year and sometimes a third, if you’re lucky and you cut it back in August. The scentless flowers sometimes crossbreed into blends of pale pink and blush-white. There are also a few crossbred hybrids out there.
Propagation
Campion is usually offered for sale as seeds; the plants don’t transplant well except as very young seedlings. The stems are heavily branched, with single flowers held upright on the tips. They flower in succession over a long period, often well into late summer with repeated deadheading.
Be sure to leave some spent flowers on the plant to ripen into seedpods, otherwise it can’t reseed for next year. Cut old stems back to the basal rosette in late summer, and avoid cultivating or mulching to encourage germination. I’ve had good luck with these techniques so far.
By midsummer, young plants should be emerging from the first flush of seeds. Sometimes if the summer has been very dry, there’s no sign of germination until September. In any event, wait to transplant seedlings until spring.
While campion self-seeds reliably, the flower color may not always come true because the bees can cross-pollinate them. I don’t find that to be a problem, as I enjoy variations in tint. If you’re not a fan of magenta, try a hybrid such as Angel’s Blush or pure white Alba. Some native forms are even lavender.
Simply direct sow seeds where you want them to grow in spring, and don’t disturb or mulch the area until seedlings appear. Water lightly until they establish, then cut back on watering as most campion cultivars prefer dry conditions. Plants should bloom their second year. Some may even survive another season.
Companions for Campion
Pinks are fairly easy to situate, but finding a suitable location for magenta campion can be a bit of a challenge, since the hot color can easily clash. Magenta shouts no matter where you put it, but here are a few tricks:
Temper color with color. Magenta quickly falls in line when mixed with equally saturated reds, yellows, pinks and oranges. Try companions of bold zinnias for instance, or next to lively orange daylilies or deep pink coneflowers. Rose campion will look right at home among them.
Soothe with cool pinks and blues. Position campion in front of pink landscape roses with lavender catmint, pink betony or blue geraniums. Burgundy foliaged plants like penstemon Dark Towers or silver-burgundy heuchera will also tone down hot magenta flowers nicely.
(photo courtesy of gardenia.net)
Go all in with silver. Plants with similar foliage to campion, such as artemisia, dusty miller, blue fescue, eucalyptus,succulents and lambs ear will extend the silvery tones of rose campion beautifully, creating a tapestry of texture. Create an interesting study in shades of pink and silver. Variegated green and white foliage also works well here.
Conifers make a great foil. Deep green conifers will set off campion’s silvery foliage; blue-toned conifers accent the flowers. Easy and carefree!
When in doubt, go white. Never underestimate the power of white in a garden. White tones down magenta (or any strong color) and tames the chaos of competing colors.
I hope I’ve convinced you to consider these ageless flowers. They’re fun, they’re pretty, they’re traditional– and equally at home in today’s modern settings. Give pinks, sweet williams and campion a chance. You’ll love them.
