What Pairs Well With Dianthus?

You may have heard of companion planting – what plants to sow with other plants to fend of pests, and to maximize their production – but what pairs well with dianthus?

We have a few ideas on the best plants you can grow with this little beauty, to make your garden look as well as it can and to increase the health of your plants.

What Pairs Well With Dianthus

These low maintenance flowers look lovely with just about anything, but there are some plants which are considered really good pairings:

• Roses. Old fashioned and enjoying the same conditions as dianthus, roses make a great companion
• Verbena. Verbena’s pretty, delicate flowers are the perfect foil for the slightly more flashy dianthus blooms.
• Sweet pea. This is a tall, tumbling plant, which will look lovely next to dianthus’ ground hugging tendencies.
• Lavender. Because it is not very scented, lavender works well planted near dianthus – its scent will not overpower dianthus’ fragrance.
• Pansies. These sweet little flowers look absolutely lovely next door to dianthus, and you can choose some complementary colors too.
• Snapdragons. For a bit of contrast, plant tall snapdragons near dianthus, to give the garden a splash of color and texture.
• Salvia. The tall purple spikes of salvia are a great foil and complementary color for dianthus.
• Delphiniums. These pretty, tall blue flowers are an excellent companion to the dianthus, and you will find that the colors suit each other well.
• Poppies. For a burst of color, choose an ornamental poppy to be planted with your dianthus.
• Hyssop. One for the herb lovers among us, hyssop’s understated beauty will go perfectly with the bright dianthus.
• Lilac. If you go for a small lilac shrub, you should find that it contrasts perfectly with your little dianthus – although you won’t notice dianthus’ scent as much!
• Forsythia. As one of the first flowering shrubs of the spring, planting this beauty with your dianthus will prolong the flowering of your garden.

As well as pairing your dianthus with plants, have you thought of adding it to food? This fascinating article gives you information on this, and other edible flowers in your garden.

Can You Plant Dianthus Together?

If you love dianthus, you can, of course, plant up your entire garden with these lovely little plants!

They grow well together, as they like the same conditions, and you can be sure that they will thrive.

But, they do suffer from some of the same problems, so if you get issues with one of your dianthus chances are you will get the same with all of them.

• Pests. Small bugs like spider mites and aphids really like dianthus, so you will need to keep a good eye out for infestations.
• Slugs and snails are also very partial to dianthus, and can decimate a plant in a very short space of time!
• Rabbits. These garden critters will pick dianthus over almost anything else, so it can be dangerous to plant too many too close together.
• Deer, on the other hand, are not fond of dianthus, so if you have problems with this type of garden invader then you can plant as much dianthus as you like!

Dianthus come in lots of different colors and even different sizes, so you can plant them together and still enjoy a bit of contrast in your garden.

They will enjoy each other’s company just as much as the company of other plants, so don’t worry if you want to plant nothing else!

Just make sure that you give them the same conditions that all dianthus like, and you won’t have to worry about them.

Where Do You Put Dianthus?

Dianthus have a few, very specific demands, and as long as you stick to what it likes then you (and it!) should be laughing.

• Keep it warm. Choose the sunniest spot in your garden for this little sun worshipper – it needs a full sun position.
• Use loose soil. Dianthus cannot handle its roots sitting around in water, so make sure the soil you plant it in is loose and well draining.
• Go for pots. If you have a tiny garden, or you don’t want to plant dianthus in it, keep them in pots instead! They’re great little patio plants.

Here is a good video showing you the best way to grow dianthus in pots, if you don’t want to plant them out (check out the display at the end!)

• Choose alkaline soil. These plants like their soil to be far from the acidic side, and will prefer a pH that goes the other way.
• Make sure the air circulates. Choose a spot in your garden that gets a bit of a breeze as well as 6 hours of full sun, to keep the plants healthy.
• Feed the soil. Dianthus like a boost of extra nutrients, so before you plant them you should make sure your soil is nutritious.
• Not too close to neighbors. Dianthus will be happy in some partial shade, but they really do need a mainly full sun position so trim back any overhanging plants.

Does A Dianthus Spread?

So you’ve planted one dianthus in just the right spot, and you want to know if it will spread to other areas… The answer is yes!

These plants have large spreading roots, and can multiply from the ground up. If you want to populate your garden with dianthus, just plant one!

Dianthus can also grow itself from seed; if you don’t deadhead the flowers you may end up with quite the spread of dianthus around the place.

You can prevent it from spreading if you trim off the new growth, but bear in mind that the roots will also be spreading underground!

Dianthus is a beautiful flower to grow on its own, that is true. However, it can be enhanced by growing it with other plants.

Companion planting is a really interesting science, and once you’ve nailed it you can really maximize the potential of your garden!