Dianthus Biennial?

Hi,
My neighbor introduced me to Dianthus this past spring and I must have it! I found a packet of seed, Sweet William Tall Single Mix. But my question is, this is labeled as a biennial in cold climates and a perennial in warm climates. I am in Northern Colorado, Z5 just at the foot of the mountains. What would a biennial mean in my location? Will I get flowers from an early indoor sowing by chance where I am? Sorry for the question, it's just the biennial issue that is confusing me!

Thanks!

This is what the dictionary says:

Pronunciation: (")bI-'e-nE-&l
Function: adjective
1 : occurring every two years
2 : continuing or lasting for two years; specifically : growing vegetatively during the first year and fruiting and dying during the second
____________

When something is biennial here, I generally plant two years in a row. Sweet Williams will drop seed each time they bloom, so you would then have blooms every year after their first bloom unless something happens to discourage that. I planted them once and now I have them every year, I think because some seed didn't germinate right away. Be prepared. They are pretty, but they can be aggressive too. Not one of those tough ones to get rid of though.

They can do very well with winter sowing and an early start in flats can encourage first season bloom. Jessamine

Sweet william, Dianthus barbatus, is an avid reseeder. Find a spot for it that allows it to grow undisturbed. It will come up the first year, grow to maturity, then die down in the winter. The next year, it will come up, bloom, throw seeds, then die. It will take a couple years to get them established so that you have blooms each year. If you start them indoors early, they may bloom the first year, but will probably not come back... but will throw seeds.

There are annual dianthus, biennial dianthus, and perennial dianthus. Check out the Plantfinder to see what is out there for your enjoyment. Most dianthus are prolific seeders, so you should always be able to get seed for SASE or trade... especially mixed Sweet William.

Hey,
Thanks for all the info here! I am going to try these as a container plant, should work OK I think. But, if I winter sow them, that may not be an early enough sowing correct? Those probably won't sprout until April, whereas I can start them indoors in February or early March? I think I'll just try a bunch at different times and see what happens. This is my first year of gardening and I'm keeping records of EVERYTHING I do! If something goes right, I want to know what I did for the following year!

Thanks again!
J

J, I'd plant the Sweet William in a bed somewhere. They don't even need particularly good soil, but would like some sun. If your summers are hot, they'll bloom in the spring, then die back. If you plant them in a pot, they probably won't winter over, and if they don't bloom the first year, you'll just get some greenery and it will be over! LOL! I'd start mine indoors under lights about 10 weeks before the season starts, then set them out.