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The Sweet William by Brinley Thomas, 1961/62 Yearbook

Just to remind Members that Dianthus are not only PF’s, Borders and Pinks but Sweet Williams as well, here is an extract from the 1961/62 Year Book;

The popular and showy garden flower, the Sweet William, has been grown in the gardens of Britain for nearly four hundred years, and any plant that his decorated our gardens for so long nay well claim a high place in our affections. It is said tc have been introduced into Britain in 1573 and it seems to have been well known on the Continent of Europe nuch earlier, for early horticultural literature contains nany references to it. John Gerard mentions it in his Herbal in 1597 and describes it as common in the gardens of his day. He notices two varieties, the Greet Sweet William and the Narrow-leaved Sweet William in the chapter “Of Sweet Johns and Sweet Williams’”. Sweet Johns would appear to be the plant which we now know as Dianthus superba which he says “hath bin taken of some … to be the plant called of the later writers Superba Austriaca, or the Pride of Austria.” Of Sweet Williams he writes “The Great Sweet Wiilliam hath round joyntcd stalkes thicke and fat, somewhat reddish about the lower joynts, a cubit high with broad ribbed leaves, like as to those of the Plantain, of a greene grassie colour. The floures at the top of the stalkes are very like unto the small Pinks, many ioyned together in one tuft – - – of a deepe red colour; the root is thick and wooddy.” “The Narrow-leaved Sweet William groweth up to the height of two cubits, very wel resembling the former, but lesser, and the leaves narrower; the floures are of a bright red colour, with many small sharps pointed grassie leaves standing up amongst them, wherein especially consisteth the difference.”

There are not many cottage gardens in Britain which do not boast a clump or two o2 these charming plants. Today the colour range is quite large for they range from pure white through pink to scarlet and crimson, and in combinations of these colours. Self coloured Sweet Willians are few in number, for apart from the white selfs, most of then have a deeper central zone. The flowers, borne at the end of a sturdy stalk, are not large individually, although in some cases they are an inch or more in diameter, but they are produced in dense clusters, giving an appearance of a brightly coloured ball.

Sweet Willians are not sold as naned varieties, but many reputable seed firms offer special colour strains which will come almost true from seed. The Auricula-eyed type are very pretty, being white with a distinct zone of another colour and a white eye. The Pheasant-eye type is crimson with a white eye and quite showy. There are not, so far as I an aware, any yellow or blue ones, although there is a type that is claimed to have blue flowers on the market, but the colour is not blue but lavender or mauve.

The Sweet William is a biennial plant, that is, it flowers the year following that in which the seed is sown. Seed should be sown in late March or early April, in pans or boxes, about 3 inches deep, under glass. The best kind of medium in which to sow is the John Innes seed conpost or a similar mixture. If making up your own seed compost, use leaf-mould instead of peat, and rather more grit. After crocking the pan or boxes, fill up to about 3/4 of an inch from the top with the prepared compost. Screen some of the compost through a 1/4inch sieve, mix a little more sand in it and lay about 1/4 inch on the conpost in the box. Soak the box thoroughly and allow to drain. Then sow the seed thinly on this and cover with a very thin layer of the fine soil. Cover the box with a sheet of glass and brown paper to exclude light and place in a temperature of 50 to 55 degrees Fahr. In this heat the seed should germinate in ten to twelve days but examine after the seventh day and if the seed has begun to germinate, remove the glass but do not allow the box to dry out. When the seedlings have made their third pair of leaves, prick out into boxes 11/2inches apart and place boxes in a cold frame. Give plenty of air and keep moist and when the little plants are about 3 inches high, harden off and plant out, 4 inches apart, in a nursery bed, always keeping the soil between the rows well hoed.

If a cold frame is not available, the seedlings may be kept in the seed box iritil they are large enough to plant out, but do not let them become overcrowded. Then, in the last week of september or first week in October plant out into the flowering position. Do not make the soil in the final planting bed too rich. It is better that the plants should grow strong and hard than lush and soft. When the flower heads begin to show in Spring, feed as much as you like with liquid manure and results will be worth while.

Sweet Williams are very vulnerable to attack by the Carnation maggot-fly so keep your plants well sprayed when out of doors with a reliable deterrent. The best of these is undoubtedly nicotine, but this is a deadly poison and cannot be obtained without a police pernit. The great danger of this substance is that it can be absorbed through the skin. Because of its vile smell it is unlikely to fce taken orally, even by accident. The Leaves are subject to considerable damage from frost, but this is not serious and the plants soon recover from it. The British National Carnation Society fosters this plant among others and offers a prize for the best blooms at the annual Pink Show.