Dianthus Rainbow LovelinessGarden pinks
科:石竹科
Family:Caryophyllaceae
属:石竹属
common name:Garden pinks
introduce:Plant Type: Herbaceous perennial
Family: Caryophyllaceae
Missouri Native: No
Native Range: None
Height: 1 to 1.5 feet
Spread: 1 to 1.5 feet
Bloom Time: May - June
Bloom Color: Pastel mixture (white to pink to red to lilac)
Sun: Full sun (only)
Water: Medium moisture
Maintenance: Low
General Culture:
Easily grown in average, medium wet, well-drained soils in full sun. Prefers fertile, alkaline, somewhat gritty loams with good drainage. Plants tend to die out in the center if drainage is not superior. Division and/or reseeding may be necessary every 2-3 years. Prompt removal of spent flowers may prolong bloom period, but is quite labor intensive. For larger plantings, it is perhaps more practical to simply shear off spent flowers after bloom. Shearing plants before seed sets will prevent any unwanted self-seeding, will trim the foliage for the remaining growing season and may promote a possible sparse rebloom in fall. Rainbow Loveliness is available from some seed catalogs. Plants are easily grown from seed and may self-seed in optimum growing conditions.
Noteworthy Characteristics:
Rainbow Loveliness is a clump-forming hybrid pink which typically forms a foliage mound of narrow, linear, bluish-green leaves rising 12-15" tall and spreading to 20" wide. Masses of heavily fringed, very fragrant, single flowers (to 1.5" diameter) cover the foliage mound in spring in a mixture of colors ranging from white to pink to rose to carmine to lilac with some bicolored and with some having contrasting eyes or rings. After flowering, foliage remains attractive throughout the growing season as long as soils are given consistent moisture. Pinks are so named because their fringed petals typically look like they were cut with pinking shears.
Problems:
No serious insect or disease problems. Leaf spot can be troublesome in humid summers, particularly where plants are crowded. Crown rot may attack plants grown in wet, poorly drained soils.
Uses:
Rock gardens, border fronts, edgings, fragrance gardens and containers. Foliage can serve as an attractive ground cover for summer and fall. Also good for cutting gardens.
