Dianthus 'Old Square Eyes'
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Dianthus 'Old Square Eyes'• Click here to visit our Main Plant List page for current availability of this plant
• common names: dianthus, garden pink
• flowering season: May into June
• height: 12 to 15 inches
• Light requirements: full sun for the best flowering, although the plant will grow in less light
• Soil requirements: average garden soil that is well drained; adding limestone to the soil when planting is appreciated because it enjoys a sweet soil, although it isn't absolutely necessary
• Water requirments: water young plants regularly their first summer; older plants are drought resistant
• Growth habit: a low cushion-shaped plant that spreads moderately
• How to propagate: take tip cuttings in early summer, or peg-down a side shoot after slicing halfway through it with a knife
• Leaf type: narrow glaucous-green leaves 1 to 1½ inches long
• Ways to use it: in a sunny spot in a garden; shearing back a plant by a third or a half once a year is recommended
• Special characteristics: the sweetly fragrant flowers make excellent cut flowers
• Other points of interests: the coloring is very unusual for a dianthus
This dates only from about 1980 when it was found as a chance seedling in a garden on the British Isles. The single flower is large at 1 to 1½ inches across, of white with a salmon-pink eye, and is sweetly scented, blooming in late spring. Each flower typically has five petals, with an eye that is a pentagon rather than square. Occasionally a flower with only four petals will open, having a eye that is precisely square. As a flower ages the salmon-pink covers more of the petals. The flower stems are just over a foot long, a good length for a vase. In the garden, supporting the flower stems with an underpinning of short, cut branches will help to elevate them for a better view. USDA Zones 5 - 9.
