Dianthus - looking good now

[Martin Baxendale]

It's in all the gardens centres and B&Q over here

Must be getting them from the N.I. wholesale supplier you mention. I'll keep an eye out in the garden centres; been looking at mail order alpine nurseries.

[mark smyth]

I just called in to the local garden centre for a look. They have a fantastic selection of about 15 named and unnamed Dianthus

[Graham Catlow]

Graham what a show of Dianthus. Does it run or did you do that with cuttings.

Thanks Luc and Mark

Mark its many years of splitting and replanting. It started with three small pots about 10 years ago. As they expanded I dug them up, split them, and replanted small patches about 10cm apart which again eventually grew together. I then did it all over again and again and.......
Maggi mentioned last year that I could do the same thing with cuttings but I hadn't thought of that.

[adrian young]

Dianthus erinaceous is a strange plant. I had two at Waterperry,
both grew into big plants fairly qiuckly (4 or 5 years) only one
has ever flowered. Both have identical conditions.
Perhaps its not quite hot enough in Oxfordshire,
compared with Turkey.
A Dianthus that I find very attractive is D.haematocalyx 'Alpinus'
Although the "Plant Finder" says we should call it ssp.pindicola.
(I never know whether to trust this learned tome)
ssp.pindicola comes from Mt.Smolikas in N.W.Greece which I believe
is an Acidic area, unlike Waterperry.

[Graham Catlow]

I really like the D. erinaceous.

Another of mine is looking good now. I showed this last year in the hope I might get a name for it but not even Allwoods could give me a name.

It's been in the family for over 50years, propagated by cuttings from my grandfather to my mother and now with me.

Any thoughts?

[angie]

No idea Graham what you plant is called but it's lovely. What a impact it has when planted in volume.
I have bought some Dianthus to try. Since I have seen your display I really would like to try it out here.  I just hope they keep compact, the ones I have had previous go all woody.

Angie

[Graham Catlow]

No idea Graham what you plant is called but it's lovely. What a impact it has when planted in volume.
I have bought some Dianthus to try. Since I have seen your display I really would like to try it out here.  I just hope they keep compact, the ones I have had previous go all woody.

Angie

Angie,
I keep refreshing this one by taking cuttings and disposing of the old plants as they get woody. I suppose the turnover is about every five years.
Graham

[angie]

No idea Graham what you plant is called but it's lovely. What a impact it has when planted in volume.
I have bought some Dianthus to try. Since I have seen your display I really would like to try it out here.  I just hope they keep compact, the ones I have had previous go all woody.

Angie

Angie,
I keep refreshing this one by taking cuttings and disposing of the old plants as they get woody. I suppose the turnover is about every five years.

Ok Graham so it's something that has to be done to keep the plants looking good. I have taken cuttings of a white form so hopefully I will have success.

Angie
Graham

[Lesley Cox]

And they can be cut hard back after flowering, to keep them neat. This often produces a second crop of flowers. Your family plant is very good Graham. The scent must be wonderful from so many plants.

I had D. erinaceus from seed, from the original ACW collection in 1966. It rarely flowered more than one or two even when the plant was 60cms across. But one must have had a seed because after 10 years I found a self-sown seedling which has always flowered really well, though because it's planted out it flowers on the sunny side first then gradually the shady side comes into bloom. The original had a pale pink flower but the seedling is near to your colour Adrian, perhaps not quite so rich. For years I found both really difficult to propagate by cuttings, not only the extreme pain involved, but I would take 200 cuttings into a sandy compost and have 2 or 3 root. Then I started giving the plants copious amounts of water about two weeks before I wanted to do the cuttings and this make the cutting growth a little softer - no less painful though. Now I get about 90% root well so do only 30 or 40 cuttings. I take them in late summer, just after flowering from stems which haven't flowered. A lot of water given in mid spring makes them flower better too, otherwise the buds frequently abort, especially if their place is hot and dry. I get some seed, not much, and again, the harvesting is very painful, same as with Erinacea anthyllis. Long legged tweezers are the answer.

[mark smyth]

Any thoughts?

yes  and I wouldnt say no 

[ChrisB]

Dianthus 'Fettes' Mount'

[arillady]

I would love to make a collection of Dianthus - have started with a few but there are hardly any sources of old cultivars over here. Any fellow Aussies know of sources apart from Rob Peace who has been a great friend for many many years.

[daveyp1970]

Pat are they on the permitted list because i could send you seed from my plants.

[mark smyth]

when is the best time to take cuttings?
best mix to roots in?
hormone?

[mark smyth]

here are two un named highly scented plants from the local garden centre. They are possibly non hardy bedding plants