Click the Play arrow to hear David Wilson as he discussed Dianthus
'Rosish One' on the
The Paul Parent Garden Club radio show (May 6, 2007).
[7:58 minutes]
Dianthus ‘Rosish One’ — with its stunning, velvety flowers, sumptuous fragrance, repeat blooming ability, and easy to care for nature — is a "must have" little perennial that you simply have to find a place for in your garden.
Hardiness Zone |
Light Preference |
Plant Height |
Plant Spread |
 |
 |
 |
 |
USDA Zones 4 to 9 |
Sun to partial shade |
6” to 10” |
1’ to 1½’ |
This dainty cottage pink grows to less than 10 inches tall, but boy does it stand out and perform! Here, in a snapshot, is why we think so highly of it:
The miniature, carnation-like flowers are prominently displayed on sturdy stems and are carried in profusion above a rounded clump of silvery gray leaves. They are velvety, dark rose with sculpted petal edges that are delicately traced in white. This tapestry of color is both rich and beautiful and can only be fully appreciated when each exquisite little flower is examined at close quarters.
Click on the picture for larger view
Unlike many garden pinks, the flowering lasts well into the summer and even extends into autumn. Removing the old flower stems as they fade helps to stimulate new flower buds and prevent unwanted seed production; this encourages additional rounds of flowering and tidies up the appearance of the plants, too. The attractive, silvery foliage is evergreen and looks appealing even when the plants are not in flower.
Dianthus ‘Rosish One’ is hardy in Zone 4 and
does best in full sun.
Height: 6" to 10"
It is an easy and adaptable grower. Plant it in any normal, well-drained soil in a sunny position and you will get good results. Avoiding sites that are poorly drained is important. If the soil lies wet (especially in winter), that will reduce the longevity of your plants. Simply make sure that the planting site is well-drained, and the rest is easy. Ideally, the soil should have a pH that is neutral to slightly alkaline. If, after testing your soil, it is a little on the acidic side, amend it by applying small amounts of lime. Similarly, the nutrition can be easily adjusted with the addition of organic matter at planting time and perhaps some light dressings of a balanced fertilizer periodically.
‘Rosish One’ is an outstanding choice for borders, edging, raised beds, rock gardens, or massed as a ground cover. It has a nice, old fashioned, cottage garden appearance, fitting in natural style landscapes or those around older, more traditional style homes. Its neat, compact habit and durability make it equally at home in urban and town gardens or more rural surroundings. It does well in sandy, gravelly, and rocky soils, making it useful in upland mountainous areas, roof top gardens, balconies, and seaside gardens.
Like its cousin, the carnation, the flowers last well when picked. ‘Rosish One’ makes delightful little posies, and a few stems placed in a bud vase are a wonderful way to brighten up a window sill, a writing desk, or bedside table.
‘Rosish One’ is a Blooms of Bressingham® introduction, via the University of Nebraska in Lincoln. Its development goes back to the famous Fleming brothers. Sadly, all three brothers have now passed away, but the legacy of their numerous outstanding cultivars and the stories of how they developed and introduced them lives on through their apprentice, Gretchen Zwetzig.
I had the good fortune to speak with Gretchen, and she told me that Jim Fleming (the oldest brother) was the one who concentrated on dianthus breeding. She said that when she went there as an apprentice in 1996, he had many seedlings that had been worked up from years of breeding and selecting.
She remembers that they didn't have a frost alarm in their greenhouses and one very cold night in 1998, the heating system failed, the temperature went down to -35°, and hundreds of plants were lost. Fortunately, they had saved some seed from their ongoing hybridization, and it was from one of these crosses that the seedling ‘Rosish One’ was selected.
Gretchen said the brothers "were always looking for something different." They looked for varieties that were distinctive and stood out from others currently in the trade. They often relied on her to help them pick out their most promising seedlings; they valued her opinion and appreciated her ability to pick out the most appealing ones. It was Gretchen that first selected out ‘Rosish One’. She recalled that "right from the start, it had a dainty little rose like flower", and it struck her as being a plant with considerable potential.
Gretchen says Jim Fleming used to pick out and label the seedlings that appealed to him by marking them rather unscientifically with a tag that would say "awesome one" or "darker one" or some type of descriptive comment. When Gretchen marked this plantlet, she simply carried on the tradition and marked the new seedling 'Rosish One' because of its resemblance to a rose in bud. Years later when the plant was propagated and distributed by the University of Nebraska, they kept the name, and it stuck!
Here's a variety thats distinctive and different in so many ways, but this top notch performer is easy to grow and will bring years of pleasure to your garden. Shakespeare declared "What's in a name? That which we call a rose, by any other name would smell as sweet.". Well, here's a little rose-like beauty that not only smells sweet, but grows and flowers beautifully, too!
We are just getting our first shipments of ‘Rosish One’ now. She'll go fast, so don't wait to take this diminutive darling home to your garden.
Until next time, remember.... Enjoy your gardening. It's good for you!
