Dianthus 'I Love U'

Dianthus caryophyllus 'I Love U'

1L nursery pot

Plant Highlights: Colour-changing double flowers • Sweetly fragrant blooms • Compact evergreen foliage • Long flowering season • Perfect for borders and containers

Overview

Dianthus caryophyllus 'I Love U' is a compact perennial pink grown for its beautifully fragrant, fully double flowers that change colour as they mature. Fresh blooms open in rich deep pink, gradually fading through soft rose to creamy white, creating a striking multi-tonal display with several shades appearing together on the plant at the same time.

Its neat mound of grey-green evergreen foliage provides year-round structure, while the long flowering season brings reliable colour from early summer into autumn. Compact and easy to grow, it is equally at home in rockeries, gravel gardens, edging, patio containers and the front of sunny borders.

Why We Love It

• Unique flowers change colour as they mature.
• Sweetly scented blooms attract bees and other pollinating insects.
• Compact evergreen foliage provides year-round interest.
• Long flowering season with regular deadheading.
• Excellent for containers, edging and rock gardens.

Plant Details

Growing Guide

Position

Plant in a sunny, open position where it will receive at least six hours of direct sunlight each day. Good air circulation encourages healthy foliage and prolific flowering.

Watering

Water regularly during the first growing season while establishing. Once established, water during prolonged dry spells, allowing the soil to dry slightly between waterings. Avoid prolonged wet conditions around the crown.

Soil

Grow in sharply drained soil or a gritty compost. Dianthus performs best in soils that drain freely and should not be planted in heavy, waterlogged ground.

Hardiness and Winter Care

Fully hardy in most Irish gardens provided drainage is good. Winter wet is more likely to cause problems than low temperatures. Container-grown plants should also be protected from prolonged waterlogging.

Routine Care

Deadhead faded flowers regularly to encourage continuous blooming throughout the season. Lightly trim the foliage after the main flush of flowering to maintain a neat, compact shape and encourage fresh growth. Divide mature clumps every few years if required.

Perfect For

• Sunny borders.
• Rockeries and alpine gardens.
• Gravel gardens.
• Patio pots and containers.
• Cottage gardens.

Good to Know

The distinctive multi-coloured display develops naturally as individual flowers mature, so it is normal to see deep pink, soft rose and creamy white blooms present on the same plant simultaneously. This changing colour effect is one of the defining characteristics of 'I Love U'.

Product Information

• Botanical name: Dianthus caryophyllus 'I Love U'
• Supplied in a 1L nursery pot.
• Evergreen herbaceous perennial.
• Pot size refers to the plant at the time of sale and not its eventual mature size.