Gypsophila paniculata Festival Pink

Gypsophila 'Pink Festival' is a delicate and poetic plant. Like all gypsophilas, it is synonymous with romantic bouquets. It is a vigorous and undemanding perennial, comfortable in light and dry soils. This rather compact variety forms a dense cushion from which robust and well-branched floral stems emerge. In summer, the plant disappears under a cloud of abundant semi-double flowers, with a pearly pink colour. This lovely plant is easy to slip into flower beds, rock gardens, borders, or anywhere with well-draining soil. Plant in full sun.

'Festival Pink' belongs to the Caryophyllaceae family, and is a relative of carnations. It is a horticultural hybrid resulting from cross-breeding Gypsophila paniculata and G. repens. The plant has a spreading and dense habit, with a flat dome shape. It will reach 45cm (18in) in height, and gradually spread to 40cm (16in) in width, or even more. Flowering takes place in June-July, until August if the soil remains slightly moist. It takes the form of numerous deep pink floral buds, opening into tiny semi-double flowers of barely 1cm (0.4in) in diameter. Each one has a pearly pink colour, fading towards the centre. The flowers are organised in large panicles 25 to 45cm (10 to 18in) wide. The foliage virtually disappears under a mist of pink and white shades, which is both very bright and extremely light. The foliage is evergreen in mild climates, semi-evergreen in colder ones. It is a medium blue-green colour, composed of small narrow, linear and fleshy leaves, 1 to 3cm (1in) long. It is carried by knotty and creeping stems, first lying down, then ascending. 

Gypsophila 'Festival Pink' finds its place in scree embankments, and beds with light and well-exposed soil. Plant it among salvias, old-fashioned roses, shrub peonies, and perennials like oriental poppies or gaura. This plant particularly enhances perennials with large flowers such as Iris germanica. This plant is ideal in dry gardens, rock gardens, covering low walls, or on sunny embankments where it will perfectly play its role as ground cover. This gypsophila also adapts very well to flower beds and containers. Its reputation is well established in dried or fresh bouquets.