By Weta Ray Clark
Raleigh News & Observer
In case you weren't aware. The National Garden Bureau has tapped 2004 as the Year of the Dianthus. Look around.
You might see Dianthus (call them "Sweet William" if your thumb is green) growing in a garden near you right now.
The little flower with power packs lots of splash in a palette of colors - from solids in white, red, lavender and the elusive yellow (D. knapii) and bicolors of picotees, with solid white edges or "eyed" blooms with dark marks at their centers.
Gardeners like Dianthus' colors, but they also appreciate its quick growth. The popular plant's foliage ranges from bright green to gray-green, gives off a spicy fragrance and comes in various sizes - from petite 6-inch plants for edging a perennial garden or highlighting a rock garden to a 3-foot specimen just right for borders and cutting gardens.
Get useful tips on planting, care and more of this mighty little flower at www.ngb.org.
