Dianthus barbatus

‘Super Duplex Mix’

DOUBLE

SWEET WILLIAMS

Dianthus barbatus ‘Super Duplex Mix’
DOUBLE SWEET WILLIAMS

Dianthus barbatus ‘Super Duplex Mix’ is a mix of all the best, old-fashioned “Sweet Williams”.
With a high percentage bearing double flowers; plus a wonderful range of rich colours, bicolours and patterns; and all superbly scented.

Old fashioned tapestry colours

‘Super Duplex Mix’ includes all the rich old tapestry colours that make Sweet Williams so beloved.
Including rich maroon, magenta, rose-pink, blush and white flowers, many with wonderful lace patterning and white stitching too.
So they have all the charm of an old-world cottage garden plant, but with newly bred enhanced performance, and an earlier and longer blooming period thanks to the new breeding.
These lovely flowers begin in mid spring and continuously produce until mid summer.

Rich and sweet scent

Dianthus barbatus ‘Super Duplex Mix’ has the intense, sweet, enchanting scent of the old-fashioned Sweet Williams, but with enhanced modern breeding for better and longer blooming.

Superb cut flowers

Dianthus barbatus ‘Super Duplex Mix’ has been bred as a commercial quality cut flower plant.
To grow in the open garden or the farm field.
The plants have longer, stronger flower stems than the old originals.
So you can fill vases with long-lasting cut flowers that pervade the room with fetching scent.
Or enjoy them as a wonderful garden clump of colour and scent.

Edible flowers

The flowers of Dianthus barbatus ‘Super Duplex Mix’ are edible.
They have a mild flavour, and can be used as a colourful garnish for vegetable and fruit salads, cakes, desserts, ice-cream and in cold drinks.
You can also steep the flowers in soda water in the fridge for a few hours to make water with both flavour and scent.

Bee supermarket

Bees and our pollinating insect friends are in bliss working the rich nectar and pollen of the flowers.
So Sweet Williams are traditional companion plants for potagers, veggie patches, orchards – to haul in the insects.
And of course for picking flower beds.

New & improved breeding

Dianthus barbatus ‘Super Duplex Mix’ has been recently bred to have all the old world charm plus.
So they have longer, stronger stems, bigger flower heads, and much longer longer blooming
All qualities which make them superior garden flowers, as well as brilliant flower crops, but without losing any of the old-world cottage charm.

Hardy & easy; water-wise & frost hardy 

Dianthus barbatus ‘Super Duplex Mix’ are very easy going plants in the garden.
Because they are frost hardy and water-wise.
So need only a minimum of additional watering to thrive and produce their best.

‘Super Duplex Mix’ plants enjoy a position if Full Sun, and a scattering of lime on well-drained soil.

Dianthus barbatus ‘Super Duplex Mix’ plants make hardy evergreen perennial clumps which continue to bloom each year. So they just need a cut back after flowering to tidy up.
Though if you leave some seed heads uncut to mature – the plants will happily self seed into the garden.
Should any baby plants sow themselves where you don’t want them – they are easy to weed out.

Fast & easy from seed to flower

However because they are so quick and easy to grow from seed, many cut flower farmers treat Dianthus barbatus as a biennial. And sow the seed in spring, summer and autumn, so they have mature plants ready to bloom profusely much earlier in the following spring.

So from sowing the seed to flower is just 16 weeks.

60cm. High beautiful crowns of double flowers in tapestry colours x 45cm Wide of evergreen foliage clump.

SEED SOWING ADVICE: QUICK & EASY
Suits beginners & gardening with kids

Sow at any time of the year in a punnet indoors, whenever suitable temperatures can be given.
OR
Scatter in the garden in spring and summer for flowers next spring.

Sow indoors for rapid germination: First sow the seeds in a punnet on the surface of good quality seed raising mix.
Then pat the seeds gently to the mix surface.
And barely cover the seeds with sieved mix or fine sandy grit.
Because light is needed for germination.

Now moisten the mix by standing the punnet in a shallow water bath and allowing the moisture to percolate up to the surface of the mix from below.

Then drain and place in a warm, well lit position (not in any direct sunlight).

Because temperatures of 18-22C approx. are best for rapid and optimum germination.

Continue to keep moist by misting the surface of the mix from a spray water bottle.
And covering the punnet with a clear plastic lid or bag will help to maintain consistent moisture.

Seedlings emerge in approx. 7-14 days.

Seed Count: 150 seeds per pack approx.
(We always aim to exceed the stated seed count and give a generous serve).

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