Silene dioica, Silene latifolia

The two species of Silenes that make up this mixture, called Red Companion and White Companion, are perennial plants from our native flora, which are undemanding and very floriferous. Red Companion, in Latin Silene dioica, offers pink flowers that open during the day, while White Companion, called Silene latifolia, bears white corollas that open in the evening. Each plant forms a beautiful and highly flowering clump throughout the summer, with a sweet evening fragrance that attracts butterflies. Sow these silenes in the spring, in trays or directly in place. They are perfect for lightening up your borders, accompanying your field flowers, and enhancing the beauty of your roses.

Silenes are plants from the Caryophyllaceae family, just like carnations. Silene dioica and its close relative Silene latifolia are naturally present in France and Western Europe. The former is adapted to moist soils, while the latter is more widely distributed, especially on limestone soils, from moist to dry. Both are herbaceous plants with perennial growth, fast-growing and very hardy. Each plant produces a basal tuft of elliptical to lanceolate linear leaves, from which rise branched leafy stems reaching about 70-80cm (28-32in) in height. Flowering occurs over many weeks, from May-June to September-October. Each stem produces inflorescences in cymes, composed of several flowers measuring 2 to 4cm (1 to 2in) in diameter, with a swollen base and 5 indented petals. They are pink-red in colour in Silene dioica and pure white in Silene latifolia. This flowering is followed by the formation of numerous fine seeds that easily germinate in light soil, dispersing the plants in the garden. Hybridization is common between these two "Companions": it gives rise to plants whose flowers display a beautiful gradient of pink.

Silenes may be the most beautiful wildflowers, due to their infinite lightness and their small shiny flowers. They enchant borders, rockeries, and flower beds, where they create spots of colour that are both vibrant and poetic. They bring the charm of flowering wild meadows to our gardens. Sow them in unpretentious borders, along pathways, in front of your bush plantings, they will be sublime accompanied by ornamental grasses such as Broom Grass, Eragrostis, or Mulhenbergia capillaris.