Telstar Dianthus

You don’t have to wait for the warmer temperatures of spring to enjoy colorful dianthus today on Southern Gardening. 

Some of my favorite spring flowers include the wide variety of pinks, whites, and purples of annual and perennial dianthus. The annual dianthus hybrids can add color and interest to your landscape right through the cooler fall and winter seasons. 

Since moving to south Mississippi, Telstar dianthus has become one of my very favorite cool season plants. Flower colors include carmine rose, pink, white and purple picotee.  The flowers have a dainty floral and delicate fragrance. The flowers have a fringed margin and are available in single, double and semi-double petal arrangements. 

These colors are from the same dianthus color palette as the spring and summer varieties and will provide seasonal continuity for your landscape. 

Telstar dianthus will be 8 to 10 inches tall and be sure space about 8 inches apart.  Proper spacing is required in order to have beautiful and fully massed landscape beds.  Or use to make an elegant border planting. The bushy plants have a stout structure with linear toothed foliage that resembles garden carnations. This is not surprising as both are in the same family.  

Plant in the full sun in well drained soil amended with quality composted material for optimum landscape performance. When the temperatures get too low the flowers will take a hit and foliage will show a little bronze or purple. But the plant will recover with moderating temperatures. Planting in the fall, especially in southern Mississippi allows Telstar dianthus to develop a strong and robust root system and provide an even better flowering display in the spring. 

I’m horticulturist Gary Bachman for Southern Gardening.