Pink Flowers are the Best

Someone asked me the other day why I love pink. I thought for a moment and the best answer I could come up with was that it makes me happy. It is a cheerful bright color that brings me joy – so I wear it and plant more pink flowers! I thought then that I should share my obsession and give you a list of my favorite pink flowers

My Eight Favorite Pink Flowers

1. Roses – Top of the list for sure – extra points if the smell is heavenly. I of course am biased since my middle name is Rose – but each year in rose season I am spellbound by their beauty, profusion, and the presence that they lend to a garden. Grow them over an arbor or along a fence for support and be sure to extend the branches sideways so that you get extra blooms along the top of the stems. Gardens need a rose.

2. Sweetpeas – The delicate winged flowers of sweetpeas hover on long stems and entrance me with their fragrance. Maybe what I am discovering is that I love pink flowers paired with scent. I grow them up wooden supports and what we call ‘pea sticks’ which are slender so that the sweetpea tendrils can wind around them for support. They are a cool season annual so in our American Zone 6-7 climate an early spring start is necessary so that they can grow before the summer heat kicks in.

3. Dianthus/ Pinks – What! Another scented pink flower – Yes – Dianthus or pinks. This group includes the rock garden favorites that carpet the ground with their silvery foliage and then pop into bloom in late spring, Sweet William which is a cottage garden favorite and is biennial, and the highly scented old fashioned fringed pinks amongst others. I like them all. I am on a quest for seed of the old-fashioned very scented Sweet Williams of my English childhood – please get in touch if you know a source – thank you. By the way Iread somewhere that the name ‘Pink’ as regards this flower is due to the jagged edges of the flowers – like pinking shears. I am not convinced – I think that the pinking shears were named after the flower. That has been around a lot longer than a pair of scissors.

4. Tulips – Tulips are a classic spring flower that comes in a riot of different colors. Of course I love pink tulips. Tulips are grown from a late autumn-planted bulb. They begin to develop shoots that peek above the ground in mid spring. The flower stem is slender. If you want to cut them for use in a vase select tulips that are showing color in the flower but are not fully open.

5. Peonies – These are a gorgeous late spring/early summer treat. These are long lived perennials that survive for decades. I have some plants that were from my husband’s great grandmother’s garden. They keys to success are not to plant the roots too deep in the soil. You can add mulch but only lightly – one inch or so. We also save our cooled wood ashes from the fireplace and the firepit to lightly sprinkle around the peonies. This provides potash which is a nutrient needed for good roots and general plant health.

6. Poppies – The translucent petals of pink poppies are enchanting. Whisper-thin and oh so delicate each petal is a work of art. Beloved of poets and writers the beauty of the poppy has been much lauded. I will add my humble words of praise. Grow the annual ones from seed sown directly in place, on a bed of an inch of gravel for best success. The bees love the single ones the best and so do I. There are various species and cultivars to choose from – they are all great.

7. Dahlias – Yes another pink favorite. These do come in other colors but left to my own when ordering from the catalog – yes they would all be pink. This the flower that takes me through the late summer into fall. It is perfect for gardens and for cutting. There are a range of shapes but probably my favorite is the ball-shape. Not that my wooden poles are painted to match the dahlia.

8. Zinnias – Another late season favorite is the trusty annual zinnia. I love the way that if you keep cutting them they continue producing flowers. Choose your zinnias by not only color – but also height of the plant and size and form of the flower. Keep them well watered while they are growing. Add a layer of compost to the soil surface to keep the root zone cool and moist. They are easy to grow from seeds and small plants.

Enjoy lots of pink flowers in your garden this year. Bye for now Gardening Friends Jenny Rose Carey