Stunning Sweet William
A lovely white and pink variety of sweet william
The Sweet William is a favourite flower for many gardeners because it creates depth and beauty, while adding a splash of unique colour to the garden.
This hardy little perennial grows to about fourteen inches or slightly over thirty centimetres. It comes in a multitude of colours such as; red, white, pink, violet and most frequently in multi-colour varieties. Since the height is limited, it is best to place this flower along the edges of gardens and not with tall plants as they will be overrun and eventually disappear.
One of the wonders of this pretty perennial is quite often each plant has different and distinctive flowers; you never know what you are going to get! In full bloom the Sweet William is like a small bouquet of flowers, and grouped together are quite a sight. For a relatively low plant, they garner much attention because of their obvious beauty so make sure they have plenty of room and are featured along the borders.
This hardy little perennial grows to about fourteen inches or slightly over thirty centimetres. It comes in a multitude of colours such as; red, white, pink, violet and most frequently in multi-colour varieties. Since the height is limited, it is best to place this flower along the edges of gardens and not with tall plants as they will be overrun and eventually disappear.
One of the wonders of this pretty perennial is quite often each plant has different and distinctive flowers; you never know what you are going to get! In full bloom the Sweet William is like a small bouquet of flowers, and grouped together are quite a sight. For a relatively low plant, they garner much attention because of their obvious beauty so make sure they have plenty of room and are featured along the borders.
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If a Sweet William is placed in a garden bed that has a decline, the plant will start to literally stretch down the hill as it grows. This makes it weaker from the stem as it drags it over the earth, on the drop, while staying rooted from its original spot. The disadvantage here is it tends to fall if it gets too tall and needs to be tended to by putting more soil over its outstretched roots. The best way to avoid this is to simply plant the Sweet William on even ground.
Sweet William’s are simple to grow from seed and can be started indoors about six weeks before bringing them out in the spring. Transplanting them can be done with minimal effort. It is worth noting this little beauty often reseeds itself in the grass; when it does, gently remove it and place it back into the garden, they won’t disappoint you! |
Often the first year a Sweet William is purchased and planted; it thickens up considerably over the season but does not bloom. Do not be alarmed by this as it is preparing itself for the big show next year! Although this plant is considered a biennial (blooms every other year) if one staggers them by planting them each year, this is never noticed because they appear to bloom every summer with this strategy. This plant is so hardy I have often noticed when the snow recedes it actually has grown somewhat under it! A true perennial!
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The Sweet William is part of the Dianthus family and loves full sun but will tolerate part shade. This plant attracts bees and butterflies and has a
wonderful fragrance. The scientific name is Dianthus barbatus and is native to Southern Europe although it is now very well established in North America. It’s hardy from zone four and won’t let you down for striking beauty when it begins to bloom in mid-June.
Every garden needs some Sweet William; it truly is an under-rated over performer which will delight the senses year after year.
wonderful fragrance. The scientific name is Dianthus barbatus and is native to Southern Europe although it is now very well established in North America. It’s hardy from zone four and won’t let you down for striking beauty when it begins to bloom in mid-June.
Every garden needs some Sweet William; it truly is an under-rated over performer which will delight the senses year after year.
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