Sweet William, or Dianthus barbatus, are the ultimate cottage garden plant. A riot of pinks, whites, purples and reds with charming, old-fashioned blooms. In recent years, I have been a little ...

References to the plant genus Dianthus go back as far as the Greek botanist Theophrastus. He named these plants from the Caryophyllaceae family “divine flower” (dios = divine plus anthos = flower).