The Old-Fashioned Charm of Cheddar Pinks

When other early-blooming plants have become tired looking, Dianthus gratianopolitanus Firewitch stays in great form. Yes, there will be times when its gray-green, almost bluish foliage is accompanied by only buds, no blooms. But the foliage always looks healthy, as though the gardener who tends it has done the job well. Then when new blooms open, their joyful pink can be seen, even from a distance.

There are more varieties of Dianthus than I can name, from Sweet William with its bunched blooms to Carnations with familiar flowers on tall stems. Given that the different varieties have different growing habits and ranges of color, it is helpful to know which member of this flower family you are choosing. There are annual, biennial, and perennial options, for example. I like them all, but Dianthus gratianopolitanus Firewitch is surely a favorite. Perennial in Zones 3-9, it has a long bloom time for Dianthus, plus a very bright bloom color.

Dianthus gratianopolitanus Firewitch, or Cheddar Pinks, grows in low mounds that never overtake the growing space of other plants. It is surprising that a plant that is so wildly pink is at the same time so polite. But that is the case. With flowers that face out and upward to show their color and attractively fringed petal borders, Dianthus gratianopolitanus Firewitch, Cheddar Pinks, has decidedly old-fashioned appeal. It works well in a front border where it can soak up six or more hours of sunlight per day.

I love the name Cheddar Pinks, but before now, I did not know its origin. Growing in England’s Cheddar Gorge, coming up alongside the limestone of its cliffs, this plant’s name refers to its own “roots”. And it remains beloved in the UK, to the point of being a protected plant.

Many write-ups on Dianthus gratianopolitanus Firewitch note that it will bloom from May through June. But this fails to acknowledge repeat bloom opportunities, with deadheading. Take your Cheddar Pinks plant, give it a pretty drastic haircut a few times in summer, and you should spark the formation of enough new buds to take you into September. I have mounds that are getting ready to show new flowers now, in early August. Once I have enjoyed those flowers which soon will emerge, with quick scissor action, I suspect I can coax out another small round of blooms to take me into fall.

Be rash in your cutting. I take each of my Dianthus gratianopolitanus Firewitch, Cheddar Pinks, gather up as many of the plant’s stick-like stems as I can, and cut the clump at an inch or two below the spent blooms. I could pinch each dried flower near its base, but for me, that has proven insufficient to spark the type of new growth needed for good repeat flowering. Instead, I gather, cut, and then gather more to address each mound. Amid the spent blooms, there are always a few yet-to-be opened buds, so I take care to avoid those with my scissors. But the work is far from time-consuming and not-at-all fussy. I just chop. After the haircut, the mound will send up new growth. Then, in no time, new buds will appear.

The buds of Dianthus gratianopolitanus Firewitch, Cheddar Pinks do not reveal much of the color of the flowers they will become. It seems they like suspense. They typically stay tightly wrapped in their gray-blue coverings until just before opening. Then “pow”, Cheddar Pinks shows off its flowers as beautifully as it must have when it was first seen in the Cheddar Gorge... or perhaps even more beautifully, thanks to some careful cultivation over time.

I have had deer visit my garden, but my mainstay visitors are bunnies. I admit, it is hard to see plants fall victim to their chewing. I might have thought that my Cheddar Pinks, visible as they are, would serve as my bunnies’ next feast. But Dianthus gratianopolitanus Firewitch will resist this munching. This plant has staying power.

Now I should mention that I am drawn to comments made about the scent of Dianthus gratianopolitanus Firewitch. Many say it has a clove scent, a fragrance I love. I once smelled a warm spice when a friend brought a small Dianthus bouquet to our workplace. But I cannot pick up that scent in my own garden. Still, I like to think others can, so I have planted my Dianthus gratianopolitanus Firewitch, Cheddar Pinks near my front porch where each mound can send out a greeting that lets visitors know this is a nice place to be, made nicer by this pretty plant.