Dianthus ‘I Love You’

Dianthus ‘I Love You’ is a compact and perfectly formed variety of garden pinks that will fill your summer garden with stunning narrow grey-green foliage and masses of beautifully scented blooms. A must have, they are perfect for planting in your beds, borders, pots, and containers where the buds will open up to show rich dark pink, ruffled, double blooms that will change to light and eventually white as they mature. Very easy to grow, they will grow well in either full sun or light shade and are a magnet for pollinating insects making them a great choice if you are hoping to encourage more wildlife into your summer garden. Delivered as 12 plug plants, ready to grow on before planting out.

Top Tips

• Grow in a well-drained soil in full sun. Plants prefers a soil rich in organic matter such as well-rotted manure or compost, and benefit from an application of a balanced fertiliser in spring.
• Dead head faded blooms to ensure flowers right up to the first frosts.

Care Guide

• Give your plugs a little attention on arrival – unpack them immediately, and either mist them or stand them in water for an hour – they may be slightly dry or yellow after being in a dark box in the post, but they?ll quickly recover.
• If you can?t do this, they can sit in Mini Greenhouses for a week if upright and not too wet.
• We recommend that you leave them to settle for a day somewhere warm, light and airy such as a windowsill or greenhouse.
• When you’re ready to pot on, use a good quality, multi-purpose compost, and fill 3-4in pots (7-10cm). For great results, we recommend using our Windowsill Planters or 9cm pots in Shuttle Trays.
• Make a hole in the compost with a dibber or your finger, then holding each plug by its root ball, place it into the hole and gently firm the compost around it.
• Give your plants a good water initially, then only when the top compost starts to dry as they don?t like to be left in standing water.
• Grow on either on a bright windowsill or a greenhouse for 3-4 weeks before potting up into containers or into flower beds.
• If planting directly into flower beds when all risk of frost has passed, prepare the ground well, removing weeds and digging in some compost or well-rotted manure if your soil is not already rich.
• Plant approx. 20cm (8in) apart to allow them room to grow. Feed using a high-potash feed such as Blooming Fast Superior Soluble Fertiliser for Flowers & Fruits, to encourage flowering.