Goody Gumdrops Dianthus: Red-Eyed Pinks for Edges and Pots

Goody Gumdrops dianthus looks a bit like a candy dish. Its semi-double flowers, about an inch across with toothed edges, open fuchsia pink with a red ring at the center, up to three to a stem, over a low cushion of narrow, waxy blue-green leaves. As the flowers age they shift toward a light purple-pink, so a plant in full bloom shows several sweet shades at once.

Goody Gumdrops at a glance

Three good places for it

• The front of a lavender bed: it shares lavender's love of sun and lean, well-drained soil, and the blue-green foliage sits comfortably next to silver lavender leaves. A row of fuchsia along the edge frames the purple behind it.
• A rock garden or gravel bed: sharp drainage is exactly what garden pinks want, and the low mound looks natural spilling between stones.
• Mixed containers: plant it near the rim of a sunny pot with a lavender in the center. Use a gritty mix and a pot with a drainage hole.

Map out an edging in the Companion Plant Planner to see how many plants a border needs.

A simple shearing schedule

The main show comes in June, a little ahead of most English lavender. Once most of those flowers fade, take hand shears and trim the whole mound lightly, just enough to remove the spent stems. Flowering slows in the hottest weeks of midsummer, then picks up again as nights cool, giving you a second round in early fall. That second flush is a nice bonus after the lavender has been harvested.

Keeping it healthy

Goody Gumdrops was selected for heat tolerance and to resist center die-out, the habit older pinks have of going bare in the middle. It handles humid summers better than many garden pinks, but give it airflow and let the soil dry between waterings. Water at the base rather than overhead. In winter, it is semi-evergreen and reliably hardy in Michigan in sharply drained soil. Keep mulch off the crown, since winter wetness, not cold, causes most losses, and tidy any damaged leaves in spring.

For the bud vase

The spicy-scented flowers are fine for small bouquets. A few stems in a little glass with sprigs of lavender make a sweet bedside or desk arrangement.

Frequently asked questions

Why do some flowers look more purple?

That is normal aging. The flowers open fuchsia pink and fade toward light purple-pink.

How is it offered?

As a full 72-cell plug tray of young starter plugs, enough to edge a long bed or fill many pots. See the product page for current availability.

Keep exploring

• Goody Gumdrops Dianthus 72-Cell Plug Tray
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