Dianthus gratianopolitanus
Named after their native habitat — the limestone cliffs of the Cheddar Gorge in Somerset, England — Cheddar Pinks have lovely rose-pink sweetly fragrant flowers. The plants stay nice and compact at just 4 to 6 inches tall. They are great for containers or small garden spaces.
Cheddar pinks are easy to grow from seed and flower in their first year (if started indoors the beginning of March or earlier). And they are perennial down to Zone 3 — which means after that initial sowing, you will be rewarded with Cheddar Pinks again and again.
A bit more:
We are smitten with the fragrant Garden Pinks.
Ever since reading Louise Beehe Wilder’s book — The Fragrant Garden: A Book about Sweet Scented Flowers and Leaves (published 1932) — we have been on a mission to create a fragrant garden. She writes:
“Why do garden makers of to-day so seldom deliberately plan for fragrance? Undoubtedly gardens of early times were sweeter than ours. The green enclosures of Elizabethan days evidently overflowed with fragrant flowers and the little beds in which they were confined were neatly edged with some sweet-leaved plant—Thyme, Germander, Lavender, Rosemary, cut to a formal line. The yellowed pages of ancient works on gardening seem to give off the scents of the beloved old favourites— Gilliflower, Stock, Sweet Rocket, Wallflower, white Violet. Fragrance, by the wise old gardeners of those days, was valued as much as if not more than other attributes.”
Cheddar Pinks are a great way to start your fragrant garden!
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How to Plant: Start indoors beginning of March or earlier for first year flowers. Press small seeds into soil and barely cover with soil. Keep soil moistened and place container in a warm place. A heat mat helps to keep soil warm. Once seedlings are up, place under lights/in a sunny place. Transplant outside after danger of frost is passed.
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Location: Sun, Partial sun
Life cycle: Perennial Zone 3 and up (or grow as an Annual)
Height: 4 to 6 inches
Container Friendly
