There is so much to love about Sweet William. The colors span the entire pink and red spectrum, the clustered flower heads are special, the stems are long and sturdy, the scent is soft and sweet, and the bloom season is right between the rush of spring blossoms and the flood of the summer annuals-- right when you need some flowers most!
Specifics
Dianthus barbatus
Bloom time: late June- early July
Colors: exact varieties vary by season, but shades of pink, fuschia, and red. As light as white and as dark as burgundy to almost black.
Stem length: 12-36"
Uses
We have used Sweet William in quite a lot of arrangements from weddings to funerals to simple arrangements destined for grandma.
Sweet William really shined in this beautiful, bright wedding bouquet:
We loved the dark Sweet William in this dark and moody arrangement:
It has an old-fashioned feel to it, so we also like to use it in simple mason-jar arrangements, strait bunches, and vintage containers.
As a biennial, Sweet William is started from seed in June, planted out in August-September, and then harvested the following year at the end of June. There are so many reasons to love Sweet William, but it's bloom time alone is a great reason to love it.
What other June-bloomers do you know and love?
Best wishes,
Jaime and Emily
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