FOTD, May 24, Dianthus

Cee’s FOTD, Flower of the Day Challenge, is always fun this time of year as Mother Nature raises her beautiful floral head. The majority of the community garden is done so I got to play in my yard. Last year I planted several colors of dianthus and their colors this year are just as beautiful. I am planting more perennials this year to help make less work for me next year. I will share those flowers on another day – today is dianthus day.

While the darker pink are a fun variation, each plant has its own expression of the color or extra markings…like being dusted with white.

Some have more white dusting and some have less but show a white center.

Then we get into my favorites, the rich velvety reds.

Then you have the flowers variation that can’t makeup its mine – red with pink edges or white edges…so lets do both.

Regardless of their color, they are amazing perennials. I love that they can tolerate the crazy winters we have – 80 degrees one day and snow the next. Welcome to the Midwest.

Flowers always make us smile, even those of us who can sometimes be a grouch. So look at flowers more often, smile more often and always be kind. A smile is the easiest form of kindness that there is.