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.
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
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