Dianthus (Caryophyllaceae) There are almost 300 species of Dianthus. Did you know that the Carnation is a cousin to the Dianthus in your flower bed?? The dianthus flowers come in many colors and sizes. They smell sweet and they bloom a whole bunch! The wonderful thing about the Dianthus plant is that they last a long time. Unlike other annuals in this area, you can plant a bunch of Dianthus and if they are happy they will stay with you and perform for a year or two. They do reseed themselves, all you have to do is leave old blooms on the plant and they will go to seed. Let them drop on their own or collect them and redistribute. If you want to have happy Dianthus, follow these simple rules... give them about 6 hrs of sunlight a day, do not over water, but don't let them get wilted either. Fertilize with a blooming plant food (water soluble) and don't mulch up close to the plants. They like to be in well drained soil, built up a bit. Try to "dead-head" old blooms as much as possible to encourage rebloom. Just use garden scissors to cut away dead flower heads. Dianthus do not like acidic soil, so don't plant them with acid loving plants like Azaleas, and Gardenias. Remember that in our zone, it gets HOT in the summer even for plants that like the heat. Dianthus has learned to adapt to our heat but only if it is started in cooler weather and it has time to get established. Have fun with this durable and pretty flower! Happy Gardening!