Sweet William (Dianthus)

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clareco Philadelphia, PA Apr 03, 2010

Hello,
I am a new urban gardener. Years ago, my landlady in Brooklyn kept a large planter full of what looked like grass. But in the spring, it bloomed into the most fragrant little white flowers. I could smell them 10 feet before I even reached our stoop. They seemed to bloom every other spring, I think, but it could have been every spring. I have since figured out, I think, that they were Sweet William (Dianthus) -- but what kind? I now live in Pennsylvania, and my local Lowes has lots of kinds of Dianthus, but they are not really blooming yet,so I can't tell which ones are fragrant. I have noticed in the past that some are not nearly as fragrant as others.

Can anybody out there tell me what kind of Dianthus to buy if I want the really fragrant kind? I don't mind about the color , and I am happy to try and grow from seed or purchase the plants. I can't think of a happier way to start my own first garden than with these

Thanks!

ClareCo

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altagardener Calgary, AB(Zone 3b) Apr 04, 2010

If the plants looked like grass, then they were not sweet william (Dianthus barbatus), but were instead one of the other species of Dianthus, that actually have grassy foliage, e.g. Dianthus deltoides, gratianopolitanus, caryophyllus (carnation). These mentioned are probably the most commonly-grown dianthus with many cultivars. Anyway, it's hard to find dianthus that are not fragrant, though some more than others. One tactic may be to visit garden centers where dianthus in bloom are being sold and pick what appeals to you, fragrance-wise. Personally, the most fragrant dianthus I know of are D. 'Mrs. Sinkins' (a very old, messy-looking white carnation-type hybrid) and D. monspessulanus, which has a completely un-Dianthus-like fragrance - sweet perfume rather than spice.

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