Tuesday Tip

Easy-to-grow perennial named plant of the year: From www.preen.com

‘Firewitch’ (Dianthus gratianopolitanus) is a workhorse in the garden, from its lovely, fragrant, magenta-pink flowers to its blue-green foliage, which is evergreen. The Perennial Plant Association, a not-for-profit trade group made up of breeders, growers and educators, has named it the 2006 Perennial Plant of the Year.

‘Firewitch’ is in the "pinks" category of dianthus, which is sometimes called Cheddar pinks. Cheddar is the area of England where this dianthus comes from, and pinks refers to the flowers, which look like they’ve been trimmed with pinking shears.


‘Firewitch’ blooms for six to eight weeks in spring and early summer, making it a good companion for late-blooming spring bulbs. After each flush of flowers, cut off dead blooms and the plant will likely rebloom throughout summer. The plant looks goo through winter, too, with its dense mat of blue-green foliage. It is hardy in USDA Zones 3 to 9.

Dianthus does best in full sun and loose, well-drained soil. It is drought tolerant, but drainage is critical. Wet soil may cause the plant to rot. ‘Firewitch’ gets about 8 inches tall with a 12- to 15-inch spread. Be prepared, though, because it may spread even more.

Once established, fertilizer usually isn’t necessary. An application of compost around the plants in fall or spring is about all that’s needed.

‘Firewitch’ is easy to divide if it outgrows its place or you want more plants. Just chop off a clump and transplant to a new spot in spring or summer. Dianthus shines in the front of the bed, in rock gardens and in areas where it’s tough to grow plants. It can take a footstep or two, but not high traffic. Best of all, are the flowers, which are very fragrant and can be cut for indoor bouquets.