Dianthus plumarius Pretty Flamingo

Dianthus 'Pretty Flamingo', formerly marketed under the name 'Carmine Letitia Wyatt', is a highly floriferous modern carnation variety, offering an abundance of large, fully double flowers in a carmine pink colour. It flowers from late spring to the heart of summer. The flowers emit a sweet and spicy fragrance that is very pleasant in bouquets. It forms an evergreen cushion of grey-blue leaves that remain attractive even in winter. Their tall, sturdy stems are ideal for creating charming bouquets. It is a robust perennial. It is easy to grow in light soil and full sun, in the garden or in pots.

'Pretty Flamingo' belongs to the Caryophyllaceae family. It is a cultivar selected in England, directly derived from the beautiful variety Dianthus 'Letitia Wyatt'. These carnations are the result of cross-breeding between D. plumarius and D. gratianopolitanus, among others. D. gratianopolitanus is native to Europe and Asia and has passed on to its descendants its compact habit and its wonderful clove scent. Its growth rate is quite fast. Its adult size will not exceed 35cm (14in) in height with a spread of 30cm (12in) or more. This carnation forms a dense clump. From May to July, and again in September-October, it produces 4 to 5cm (2in) wide double flowers with slightly crumpled but not very fringed petals. The flowers are carried at the end of sturdy, often branched stems. Its linear, glabrous, pointed, persistent and leathery leaves are a superb grey-blue colour.

'Pretty Flamingo' is perfect in borders, embankments, and dry rockeries. Its large, fragrant, warm pink flowers bring undeniable charm to even the simplest decor. It can be accompanied, for example, by other carnations ('Devon Dove', 'Devon Cream', 'Letitia Wyatt'), the blue bells of wood hyacinths, and the blue mosses of catmints, or flowering cushions such as helianthemums, silenes, wall bellflowers, Caucasian rockcress, creeping phlox, Erigeron karvinskianus, and bloody cranesbill (Geranium sanguineum). To evoke gardens of the past, a small border of these lovely carnations can be planted at the base of peony clumps and old roses. This plant looks lovely between the stones of a wall or pavement, in a trough or in a container. It adapts very well to pot culture, in light soil.