What’s in a name?
Dianthus Bath’s Pink, Pink swamp milkweed, Indian Pinks.
These are just a few of the hundreds of plants offered at Goodwood’s Spring Plant Sale on Saturday, April 8.
Bath’s Pink, Dianthus gratianopolitanus, like many dianthus species, is various shades of pink,
however the name pink does not refer to the color, but the fringed flowers, which are “pinked.”
That is, they have a zig-zag edge as if cut by pinking shears.
This perennial species was found by a Georgia gardener, Jane Bath, who took it to Goodness Grows Nursery near Athens for identification.
It was determined to be an unknown species and was named for her.
I bought my plant there in 2004, and it’s still going strong.
The plants at the sale are cuttings from my garden. I’ve moved it around my terraced garden borders, where it drapes over the edges; good drainage is a must.
It is also known as the ‘Cheddar pink’ or ‘clove pink’ for its fragrance.
You’ll find two of my favorite native plants at the sale: Pink swamp milkweed and Indian Pinks.
Pink swamp milkweed, Asclepius incarnata, is one of the best milkweeds for our area and works well in the home garden.
It has rose-purple flowers on top of a tall, sturdy stem.
Its abundant leaves are a favorite of the Monarch butterfly.
Indian pink, Spigelia marilandica, is an herbaceous perennial wildflower native to our region that is an underused plant in the home garden.
It’s been introduced to the nursery trade in the United Kingdom and Europe, where it’s very popular as an ornamental landscape plant.
I have it growing in part-shade in my garden, where it has spread into clumps and also reseeded.
The plants glow with their red (not pink) tubular
flowers that are lemon yellow inside and flare at the top to form a five-pointed yellow star. (Pinked?)
Indian ink, aka woodland pinkroot, is a hummingbird favorite.
Getting back to the color pink….according to Wikipedia, the color pink, which became fashionable in the late 17th century, takes its name from the flowers called pinks, which are members of the genus Dianthus.
The plant sale at Goodwood will include a wide variety of pass-along perennials, ornamental vines, shrubs, groundcovers, annuals, and vegetables propagated by Goodwood’s garden volunteers.
A number of hard-to-find heirloom varieties will also be featured.
The 2023 Goodwood Spring Plant Sale will be held on Saturday, April 8 from 9 AM – 1PM at the Virginia McKee Greenhouse.
Come early for the best selection!
There will be two vendors joining Goodwood Museum & Gardens as first-time participants in the plant sale; Argonaut Coffee and 88 Crepes will be setting up shop, keeping Goodwood guests fed and caffeinated during the plant sale.
Librarians from the Leon County library will also be present during the sale, as they will host an informational booth about Leon County’s free seed library program.
For those who cannot make it out to the plant sale on April 8, selections from the sale will continue to be available on the following two Fridays from 9 a.m. until noon.
Rose Rodriguez – Goodwood Garden Volunteer
