Find Us:
Cosmos in the Garden
  • Blog
  • Gallery
  • Publications
  • About me
  • Ask Jarek
  • Polski

Sweet William 

6/28/2013

4 Comments

 
Picture
No one knows why this ornamental plant became sweet william. There are legends which try to relate the common name  name of Dianthus barbatus to different famous or unknown people, but none of them seem to be credible. Sweet william is sweet indeed. Cultivated for centuries for the beauty and strong smell of its flowers,  it has acquired a very characteristic flair related to  a slightly old-fashioned style which now belongs to the  time of our great grandmothers and their gardens . Well, being old enough I could say, it belongs to our childhood filled with unforgettable aromas of vacation, country gardens, sunny and carefree days. Enjoying popularity for many many years, today sweet william has become a little less important than it was  in the past. I hope, it will not fade into oblivion and I count on more famous people to hype this graceful plant the way Catherine Middleton did. She included sweet william in her wedding bouquet and it is not a legend. 

Sweet william is a biennial, which means it lives for two years. It is not always  true. Usually it lives quite longer, three or even four years. Its vigour helps the plant to survive freezing winters. What is more, sweet william produces a lot of vigorous seeds which germinate freely everywhere they happen to fall (providing its good fertile soil, not necessarily in the garden). After a few years sweet william plants form an intrinsic, colourful  flowery pattern in the garden just like a Persian carpet. Pink and red shades seem to dominate the ornamentation which has one  additional asset: this carpet smells like crazy. The flowering heads of sweet william attract a lot of bees, butterflies  and other insects and - of course- announce the beginning of summer. 

Dianthus barbatus is an easy plant to grow. We can start from seeds or plants bought in containers. Seeds should be  sown in the spring in a sunny  and well drained spot in the garden. The seedling will bloom the next late spring, although some of them may try to produce flowers the same year.  If you want to have a precious carpet of dazzling pinks, reds and whites let the seeds germinate among the mother plants. The effect is guaranteed as the seeds will give different colours than the  plant they were formed on.  If you desire to save your favourite colour  of sweet william, you can try cuttings or division.  The cutting root  very quickly so do the divided parts. 



It is a perfect plant to decorate the garden, the house and the bride. 



Jarek
4 Comments
Paul & Kasia
6/30/2013 05:50:57 pm

Sweet william, yes I do remember them from the sixties in Churchdown which is between Gloucester and Cheltenham.
Arriving at this address in the dead of night after driving non-stop from Lago di Como, my father parked too close to the edge on the gravel drive. As my uncle Paolo Scacchi got out he disappeared over the edge of a sloping 45-degree flower bed come rockery, mowing down sweet williams, dragon snaps, lupins and all. He came out smelling of roses (Australian term).
Does the sweet william flower the first year if it's biennial?

Reply
Jarek
6/30/2013 07:36:12 pm

What a great anecdote! Thank you for this amusing recollection, Paul. As you see, sweet william and company can be involved in funny situations not only weddings (just kidding).
Some biennial plants can start blooming the first year if they are crazy enough but still their best flowers wait until the next season, so should we.

Reply
Carrie Wagner
7/9/2013 02:27:47 am

Sweet William flower is very pretty, also. Our rainfalls in Rockford are helping the flowers lately.

Carrie

Reply
Jarek
7/10/2013 07:19:09 am

Yes, warm rain can cause miraculous effects, although sweet william is quite tough a plant. But event the most resistant ones welcome tender care with joy. I hope you can take pleasure in its flowers for a long time. Thank you for your comment, Jarek

Reply

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    View my profile on LinkedIn

    Author

    I was destined to be born gardener. In order to become a professional  one I had to enjoy years of studying at various  schools and  universities...  read more

    Archives

    Kwiecień 2015
    Styczeń 2015
    Grudzień 2014
    Październik 2014
    Wrzesień 2014
    Sierpień 2014
    Lipiec 2014
    Czerwiec 2014
    Maj 2014
    Kwiecień 2014
    Marzec 2014
    Luty 2014
    Styczeń 2014
    Grudzień 2013
    Listopad 2013
    Październik 2013
    Wrzesień 2013
    Sierpień 2013
    Lipiec 2013
    Czerwiec 2013

    Categories

    Wszystkie
    Annuals
    Biennials
    Bulbs
    Corms
    Country Gardens
    Country Gardens
    Dry Decorations
    Fall
    Flowering Shrubs
    Flowering Shrubs
    Flowering Trees
    Flowering Trees
    Flowers
    Food
    Forrest
    Grains
    Grasses
    Herbs
    Leaves
    Meadows
    Orchards
    Other
    Perennials
    Potted Plants
    Rhizomes
    Roses
    Shade
    Shrubs
    Spring
    Summer
    Trees
    Tubers
    Vegetables
    Vines
    Winter

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.