SWEET WILLIAM
What do you make of a plant that goes by both “sweet William” and “stinking billy?” The plant in question is Dianthus barbatus, a member of the carnation or Caryophyllaceae family. Gardeners have loved, planted and known the species best as sweet William. I don’t know where the “William” came from, but the “sweet” is probably derived from the flowers’ clove-like scent. “Stinking”is problematic. It is possible that back in the sixteenth century, when sweet William was introduced to Western Europe, the word “stinking” might have been a broad term, signifying anything with a strong odor or fragrance. It is equally possible that some people of the era may have found the aroma of cloves unpalatable. The historical record does not clarify the sweet versus stinking situation, though English herbalist John Gerard, writing in 1597, noted, “These plants are kept and maintained in gardens more for to please the eye, than either the nose or belly.”
And they certainly please the eye. If you have never seen sweet William, start by imagining a small, rather flat carnation or pink, with only five petals. The flower might be white, pink, rose, red, purple, or bi-colored, often with a white, central “eye zone.” Form a flattened flowerhead by combining that small flower with up to twenty more of its kind and place it at the top of a six to twenty-four-inch stalk. Add elongated leaves that appear opposite each other on the stalk and you have an approximation of sweet William.
But no matter how good your imagination, the reality is even better, and that is why the species has been popular for nearly five hundred years.
Aside from “stinking billy,” sweet William has had lots of nicknames over the years. These include “sweet St. Johns,” “sweet Johns,” “poetic pink,” “pickery carnation pink” and “bunch pink.” The genus name, “dianthus,” comes from the Greek by way of New Latin. “Dios” means “heavenly” and “anthos” means flower. “Barbatus,” the species name, signifies something barbed or with sharp hairs. Whatever you call them, the flowers are biennials, meaning that they sprout and form a rosette of leaves in the first year, then flower and set seed in the second years. If the plants are well situated, they tend to reseed, giving the impression that they are perennial.
Like many flowering plants with pleasing colors and patterns, sweet William was a favorite of Victorian gardeners. Amateur and professional breeders vied with each other to produce new varieties and were especially smitten with bi-colored types. One popular heirloom variety, ‘Holborn Glory,’ still available today, is a bi-color featuring a bright white central “eye zone” surrounded by a wide band of dark red, which is in turn ringed with white along the toothed petal edges. Combining ‘Holborn Glory’ with other solid and bi-colored varieties en masse in a garden bed would create a swirling color pattern reminiscent of an Oriental rug or a paisley shawl.
People don’t favor such wildly patterned planting schemes much any more, but sweet William is still popular for containers and colorful “filling” for bare spots in mixed borders. Dwarf varieties are also useful for edging beds.
This dianthus, like other family members, thrives in full sun in neutral soil, and is reputedly unattractive to deer. Start plants from seed indoors about eight weeks before the last frost date for your area or buy young specimens in cell packs at most large garden centers in early to mid spring. Mixed color assortments seem to be the easiest to fine, especially from seed vendors, but you can also purchase named varieties like ‘Newport Pink,’ introduced in 1926, and white and pink-flowered ‘Harlequin.’ If possible, plant groups of three, five or seven plants near paths or seating areas so that garden guests can savor the spicy fragrance. After the blossoms fade, do not deadhead, as doing so prevents reseeding.
There is still time to pick up some sweet William at your nearest plant retailer. For additional varieties next year, try Select Seeds, 180 Stickney Hill Road, Union, CT 06076, (800) 684-0395; www.selectseeds.com. Catalog $1.00.