I was weeding one of the beds this week, as well as trimming a much-overgrown Butterfly Bush so the winter weather doesn't cause permanant damage to it. I have Dianthus plants growing near-by and noticed that Firewitch has a few blooms as does some of my seedlings from Siberian Blues. Do you have any Dianthus reblooming right now and if so, which ones? Do you always see them this time of year, or was this a first rebloom for you?
Linda
Anyone have Dianthus blooming right now?
Linda,
The Siberian Blue’s from the seeds you sent me and four hybrids which mysteriously appeared, where we suspect that Fire Witch was the pollen parent, are all in bloom as of this morning; not as many flowers as July and August but in Zone 6B I am not complaining. The temperatures have really started to drop in the last few days and I was holding out hope for a warm October. Dianthus amurensis doesn’t know when to quite.
I wish I could say the same for my African and Chinese Hibiscus specimen plants; I will have to start winterizing them soon and bring them indoors. There is always next year, if they make it through the winter. My crazy Iris Sangreal are back in bloom again and should continue until the first killer frost and even that may not stop them.
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/266957/
Mike
Speaking of reblooming iris, I don't have as much rebloom as in past years - Clarence just opened, Sugar Blues has 6 rebloom scapes and has been reblooming for a couple of weeks. Rosalie Figge should be opening soon and Lo Ho Silver has been reblooming for some time. Nothing on my Immortality, Fast Forward, English Cottage, Baby Blessed, Baby Boom, Plum Wine, Victoria Falls, NOID That Looks Like Smell The Roses, and NOID TB Peachy-Pink. Some years are better than others! But, I gave my oldest daughter some of the NOID Looks Like Smell The Roses, Baby Blessed, and Plum Wine. She lives about one long block away as the crow flies, and these are all blooming at her house. Go Figure.
The seedlings from Siberian Blues are full of flowers, but Firewitch only has a couple of flowers. The seedling that I have from seeds marked as Rainbow Loveliness and which doesn't look anything like it, did not rebloom for me.
I had Dianthus Knappi, that I Winter Sowed a few years ago, but it never was a robust plant, and while it bloomed this year, I think I've lost it now. Looks like I'll have to hunt up more seeds and try again. It was a very cute plant.
Linda
These two Dianthus clusters are amazing. The pink is in a 16" terracotta pot. The red is in a 24" plastic pot. Neither received much supplemental water and our summer was unusually brutal. They shrank and browned and cowered. But look at them now. Roaring back like nothing happened.
Up close.
Red
Very pretty flowers, Debra! Are you going to plant them in the ground to keep them going until next year? Even in my zone up here in Western PA I have had some of the Dianthus that are sold here as annuals live through the winter in a large pot and start up nice and healthy the following spring. Then, again, I've lost some that way. So my inclination is to plant them in the ground for the winter.
Linda
The red ones have always been in that pot for three years now and I am very happy with them. :-) I put red and/or deep purple petunias in with them each spring. The pinks are divisions from a clump in the ground the lawnmower guy accidentally pulled out. Thought I'd try them in a container. Becoming more fond of them all the time. Thinking about putting in several dozen more come Spring. :-D
Love the way my phone camera "cartoonized" the blossoms. Good capture of the color, though. These come back year after year in one of the hottest, driest parts of my yard. Very happy with them.
I have some pink ones blooming right now. I am sorry to say that I lost my notes on that bed and I don't remember what kind it is. I live southeast of OK City and I leave mine in the ground and it always comes back. A lot of times if our winter is mild mine stays green. Last year we had a blizzard on Christmas Eve and several ice storms and my dianthus lived through it and bloomed nicely. I also have a clematis blooming right not. I will have to do a little research to identify them, I have just been lazy. LOL
Still beautiful, even with the freezes.
Mine is still blooming continuously and has not stopped despite a snow we had and very low night time temps for a couple of months now. That is why I have been puting out feelers for seed trades for dianthus. Got some today, but it does not have the screen name and I can't fine the person now to thank them. OMG!
What variety do you have that is still blooming, and what seeds are you trading for? It's interesting to see what other Dainthus growers are growing now and which ones they are planning on growing from seed.
Linda
I don't know what variety it is because I did not mark it, but it is sort of like the one above but I think it has Black or white veins. I am trying to remember. I had another variety too but it did not do as well. We are supposed to have our big never since 1942 cold, snow storm this weekend. If it survives this, I will take a picture of it. I can take some seeds off of it.
I want Dianthus varieties and odd MG or Petunias. All easy to grow and low water use here. I have to see what seeds I have. I did not gather them up this year like usual, but I have trade ones. I do have green Camphor beans, usually have Mystic Merlin Malva. Coyote Bush seeds. Canna seeds, regular orange and I think some red ones. I usually have Celosia burgundy too. I have Pomegranite seeds. More but I don't know what. What do you guys look for?
I am growing several species of Dianthus in large pots which I move next to the south-facing side of my house for protection in early December, where they were covered with 4 feet drifts of snow for over two months. With the snow gone, many of the Dianthus appear to be in surprisingly good shape, I would almost swear that some of them are larger, although I know that is impossible. Right now, anything which is green or blue-green looks good.
In Zone 6b they are obviously not blooming, but I am just happy they are still alive after this winter which will not end. All of my Carnations appeared to have done particularly well, with many of them being long-stem ornamental verities which have a reputation of being delicate. My efforts at propagating Carnations via layering appear to have been successful and several of the pots are filled with dozens small healthy satellite plants. Perhaps the deep snows afford Dianthus greater protection during a hard winter.
Mike
I looked to see if they were still blooming and they are but not profusely like they were. they are that bright pink color with white ruffles and small flower size.
Hubby just handed me some seeds from a DG friend on the propagation forum. Yippie.