‘Madonna of the Pinks’ (La Madonna dei Garofani), Raphael, 1506–7, National Gallery, London.
Dianthus Superbus
In 1382 Chaucer informed us that every London tavern had ‘pinkes’ in their gardens, so the petals could be used to flavour wine and beer.
For 900 years or more English gardens embraced the scent of Dianthus; the small flowers were immortalised in text and paintings.
Since 2000, there has been a slow loss of the very oldest varieties of pinks. My aim is to resurrect, where possible, these historical plants, some of which date back to the 16th century.
Examples include Bats Double Red, Cockenzie Pink, Inchmery, Fair Folly, and Queen of Sheba.
Working alongside the fantastic charity Plant Heritage, I am creating a National Collection in the making—a tricky task with these rarely available pinks.
Here are some of the flowers from 2026.
Dianthus Superbus
Dianthus Musgraves Pink
Dianthus Fair Folly
Dianthus Queen of Sheba
