Dianthus in bloom in brilliant purples and reds, the perfect time to enjoy the flowers

"The so-called bamboo is not bamboo; in spring it sends up slender, delicate beauty. Red and white and purple and pink, ancient coins preserved to this day." China dianthus (Dianthus chinensis) has stems like bamboo and gorgeous flowers shaped like ancient coins. Because it is robust by nature and can still grow well in cracks between rocks, it is called dianthus, also known as Luoyang flower. Dianthus is a perennial herbaceous flower of the family Caryophyllaceae, usually grown as a biennial. Its stems are erect, about 30 cm tall, with opposite, linear, lanceolate leaves. The flowers are solitary or several borne at the tips, composed of five petals with distinctly triangular small teeth along the edges. Flower colors include red, white, pink, purple and bicolor, as well as various colored patterns (see the photo above). Dianthus flowers open at the top of the plant, uniform in height and fairly neat; the flower shape resembles ancient copper coins, and the flower colors are rich and varied, in brilliant purples and reds, very bright and interesting, with extremely high ornamental value, and have been deeply loved by people since ancient times. The Tang dynasty poet Lu Guimeng praised it in a poem: "I once saw a painting of a southern kingdom beauty, on her ancient dream robe shattered golden clouds. Now do not vie with the golden coins, for the one who buys up the spring breeze is this flower." In the poem, likening it to "golden clouds" and "golden coins" is very apt, and by today it should be regarded as "ancient coins." Dianthus has a long flowering period, blooming the first time from May to August, and when September to November comes it will bloom again to welcome and send off the golden autumn. The fruit is oblong, maturing from June to July, when the seeds are plump and should be collected and stored in time for future use. Dianthus likes a dry, sunny and well-ventilated environment; it likes fertile sandy loam; it is relatively cold-tolerant; it dislikes waterlogging; and it fears heat and scorching sun. Its propagation is mainly by sowing, carried out from September to October, with seedlings emerging in about 20 days and flowering possible the following May; spring sowing is also possible but does not grow as well as autumn sowing. During the seedling stage it can be transplanted 1 to 2 times, and is set in place when buds appear. After the first flowers fade, cut back the tips promptly, and after September it can bloom a second time. It can also be propagated by cuttings, though this is seldom used. Dianthus is an important flower for laying out flowerbeds and flower borders and for accenting rock edges, and is even more the top choice among fine flowers for potted display; it can be freely combined into many patterns for use on various occasions, very beautiful, and is also excellent for indoor viewing. Tall-stemmed varieties of dianthus are also an important type of cut flower. Horticultural varieties of dianthus also include: large-flowered dianthus, double-flowered dianthus, border carnation, three-inch dianthus and carnation, among others. The whole plant of dianthus is used as medicine and has a diuretic effect, and the root has anti-cancer properties. Dianthus has strong resistance to sulfur dioxide and nitrogen chloride, making it an excellent flower for beautification and greening of factories and mines.