Dianthus, Cheddar Pinks, Clove Pinks 'First Love'

This is a fabulous perennial for Houston-area gardens! It blooms nearly year round here . . it's full of bloom right now after our unusu...Read Moreally cold January. It naturalizes in my garden where it's grown in either morning sun or partial shade. It doesn't seem to have any problems in my garden, although I do have to fight to keep the oxalis and wild violet out of it. This plant looks pitiful in tiny 4" containers so most nurseries don't want to bother with it. I've only seen 1-gallon-sized containers for sale and this rarely. Grab it if you see it or order it.
Leslie

i've had this plant in my garden for over a year now and they do not ever take a break! always in bloom, even when we had light frosts. ...Read More i trim out the brown stems and old flowerheads-not as often as i should.

should add that when it starts to look raggedy, just take a scissors and trim it almost to the ground. it will come right back and be blooming in no time.

has survived hard freezes, drought and is disease and pest free in my florida garden.

First Love would be more appropriately named if it were "Forever Love". Everybody should have this in their garden. A blooming machine,...Read More with all tones of pink, from palest (almost white) to the yummiest cherry pink. Also, this dianthus is frag. but you put your nose close to bloom.

I planted a tiny start of First Love a few weeks ago. It is already blooming. The blooms are facinating... they go from the purest, clear...Read Moreest white to a vivid hot pink, and then fade to lavende
r. The individual flowers open up at different time, so you have a plant with many dramatically differently-colored blossoms at once. Very pretty effect.

I've only had this plant for a short time so I can't definitively comment on its disease resistance or habit. But it seems vigorous and healthy so far and has doubled its size in just a few weeks.