Think pinks
CULTIVATED for centuries for their scented, blush-coloured flowers, in more recent years dianthus have been dogged by a reputation for being dowdy, old-fashioned and fussy. It doesn’t help that pinks were a common sight in the rockeries and borders of 1970s gardens, while carnations became the go-to flowers for funerals. But there’s an awful lot more to dianthus than that.
From petite alpines to gorgeous sweet Williams, this is a diverse genus, members of which tick lots of boxes for the modern garden. Many are versatile plants, good for borders and containers, and with a long flowering season –
