Super Strawberry Hybrid Dianthus Seeds

Raspberry is a dianthus with a difference. The result of crosses between the best China Pink (D. chinensis) and Sweet William (D. barbatus) varieties, this super early-blooming, fragrant, heat- and drought-tolerant wonder is a colorful addition to bed, border, and container that will keep you in color for months on end.

Raspberry begins blooming a week to 10 days sooner than the old Parfait series, with charming “pinked” blooms that overlay deep raspberry-red blushes onto bright pink petals. The center is dark reddish-purple, the blooms are fragrant, and the plants stand just 6 to 8 inches high and spread scarcely wider—a dwarf beauty just right for containers of all size, annual beds, small-space plantings, and the front of the foundation.

Technically Raspberry is a biennial, which means it will come back for another year in its hardiness range of zones 6-9, but we advise you to grow it as an annual. The first year is by far its best, and you will find that it lasts far into fall. Such a hard worker in the sunny to partly shaded garden.

This dianthus stands up to hot summer days very nicely, and doesn’t mind drought. The flowers are quite abundant, and they self-clean—a huge advantage for us busy gardeners. You will enjoy the sight of the blue-green foliage, too; it forms a nice neat little mat that combines well with other plants.

And Raspberry is easy to grow from seed. Begin it indoors in your Bio Dome Seed Starter Kit. Cover the seed lightly (if you’re using the Bio Dome, you can just drop one seed into each bio sponge; no cover necessary) and germinate at about 70 degrees Fahrenheit with high humidity. (Put plastic over the seed flat to increase the humidity level, or keep the Dome on with its vents closed.) Once the seeds sprout, grow on cooler. The seedlings will be ready to transplant in about a month. You can sow them in summer for a fall show, too.