Commonly known as a 'pink' this adorable old fashioned flower is mostly a perennial herb, while some are annuals or biennials. The Greek botanist Theophrastus named this plant from the word dios meaning "god' and anthos which means "flower". As a child I was told this flower was a 'sweet william' or a 'wee willy'. Those names have always appealed to me. There are several species of Dianthus, all in one shade of pink or another. The flowers have five petals with a frilled outer edge. This garden plant makes a wonderful edging along borders and will fill in nicely when planted in containers. I also love to cut this flower to bring inside, and it lasts for several days.
image from living mag circa 2000.