Mobow, yours are ahead of mine (normal given where I live!). I've got the beginnings of flower heads and saw they looked rather like sweet williams, so wondered about dianthus, but they will probably get frosted before I get to see a flower. Thanks for the ID, will find a place for them. Should do well on my gravelly rock garden bank, if it can compete with Flashing Lights which is seeding like mad!
It's good to have it confirmed that it's likely to be Dianthus japonicus.
Only one of the plants I grew sent up a flower spike and as it was in a pot I took it into the greenhouse a couple of weeks ago to encourage it to open so I could see what flower was before the frosts came.
Now I know what it is and what conditions it likes I'll have to find somewhere to plant them.
I'm wondering if it would be best to leave them in their pots and bring them into the greenhouse over the winter. It tends to be wet here and it sounds as though they like dry conditions,
If you enjoyed the experiment, have a look at Chiltern seeds. They do several 'lottery' mixes, including one where you get a list of the packet contents, which helps a bit with ID. I had several monocots in mine though and with those you really have to just wait and see! Generous packets and good plants. It is fun and even if what comes up isn't rare it may still be something you haven't grown before. I had always avoided verbascums, but I loved the ones I got in this T&M packet and will definitely be growing them again. As they are biennials, I am hoping some will set seed for me, but I may have to buy some of the Olympicum as it is still flowering on sideshoots!
so many good suggestions - but I think they look like sweet williams, in which case they will spread to form a nice little clump and flower next year. They are sort of biennial, but sometimes go on for another year, and often self-seed.
of course I could be completely wrong....
it will be fun to see what they do turn into next year
so many good suggestions - but I think they look like sweet williams, ...
That's because they're related - Sweet Williams are also in the dianthus family - they are Dianthus barbatus - but I'm pretty sure that Mobow's plants are not the Sweet Williams that are commonly grown as a cut flower.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Thanks for the tip on Chiltern Seeds. I've had a look at the website and it looks as though there are interesting things there including their "lottery" mixes.
You mentioned in an earlier post in this thread that in the T & M packet of seed you got
some kind of figwort (nice leaves, unimpressive flowers, looks like it will get big, going!)
Did it look like this?
It's over 1 metre tall and has very soft leaves and a hairy stem. The flowers are borne on short stalks in the leaf axils. They are a bit open snapdragons and I think it's a member of the Figwort family as far as I can tell. It's something I haven't come across before
Mobow - yes, that's it! It's ok for a wild area perhaps, might try one or two in my boggy 'wilderness', as it might be good for insects, but can't spare room for it in the borders.
I had a packet of these that I planted late spring so no flowers this year. I have lots of what appears to be different dianthus. A couple of hardy geraniums an lots of what look like mulleins
Posts
Mobow, yours are ahead of mine (normal given where I live!). I've got the beginnings of flower heads and saw they looked rather like sweet williams, so wondered about dianthus, but they will probably get frosted before I get to see a flower. Thanks for the ID, will find a place for them. Should do well on my gravelly rock garden bank, if it can compete with Flashing Lights which is seeding like mad!
Hi
Thanks Liri, Dove for the links and Buttercupdays
It's good to have it confirmed that it's likely to be Dianthus japonicus.
Only one of the plants I grew sent up a flower spike and as it was in a pot I took it into the greenhouse a couple of weeks ago to encourage it to open so I could see what flower was before the frosts came.
Now I know what it is and what conditions it likes I'll have to find somewhere to plant them.
I'm wondering if it would be best to leave them in their pots and bring them into the greenhouse over the winter. It tends to be wet here and it sounds as though they like dry conditions,
It's been interesting to grow something new
If you enjoyed the experiment, have a look at Chiltern seeds. They do several 'lottery' mixes, including one where you get a list of the packet contents, which helps a bit with ID. I had several monocots in mine though and with those you really have to just wait and see! Generous packets and good plants. It is fun and even if what comes up isn't rare it may still be something you haven't grown before. I had always avoided verbascums, but I loved the ones I got in this T&M packet and will definitely be growing them again. As they are biennials, I am hoping some will set seed for me, but I may have to buy some of the Olympicum as it is still flowering on sideshoots!
so many good suggestions - but I think they look like sweet williams, in which case they will spread to form a nice little clump and flower next year. They are sort of biennial, but sometimes go on for another year, and often self-seed.
of course I could be completely wrong....
it will be fun to see what they do turn into next year
That's because they're related - Sweet Williams are also in the dianthus family - they are Dianthus barbatus - but I'm pretty sure that Mobow's plants are not the Sweet Williams that are commonly grown as a cut flower.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Hi Buttercup
Thanks for the tip on Chiltern Seeds. I've had a look at the website and it looks as though there are interesting things there including their "lottery" mixes.
You mentioned in an earlier post in this thread that in the T & M packet of seed you got
It's over 1 metre tall and has very soft leaves and a hairy stem. The flowers are borne on short stalks in the leaf axils. They are a bit open snapdragons and I think it's a member of the Figwort family as far as I can tell. It's something I haven't come across before
thanks Dove - senior moment - I didn't actually see the picture before commenting - was in the middle of lifting and bringing in my echeverias
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Mobow - yes, that's it! It's ok for a wild area perhaps, might try one or two in my boggy 'wilderness', as it might be good for insects, but can't spare room for it in the borders.
I had a packet of these that I planted late spring so no flowers this year. I have lots of what appears to be different dianthus. A couple of hardy geraniums an lots of what look like mulleins