‘Firewitch’ is a good example of the adage that good things come in small packages. Of all the pinks in my garden this one is the most attractive throughout the growing season. The dense mat of blue green foliage is a perfect background for the hot pink flowers that burst forth in spring and go on for weeks. Even during the heat and humidity of North Carolina summers, this plant stays looking good and spits out flowers on and off all summer. Place it near a bench and enjoy the clove fragrance. A Cheddar pink, it is easy to grow and was selected as the 2008 Perennial of the Year. Just plant it in rich organic soil and keep it well watered and you will have a good-looking front of the border plant all season long for years.
Type: herbaceous perennial
Bloom: Vivid pink. fragrant flowers, 1” across, in mid spring with rebloom possible in summer and fall.
Foliage: Evergreen, silvery-blue leaves are borne in dense mat.
Size: 3-4” H x 6-12” W with flowers reaching ” 6-8” tall.
Light: Full sun to part sun with afternoon shade.
Soil: Rich, organic, moist, well-drained.
Fertilizer: Apply a well balanced fertilizer in spring being careful not to burn the dense foliage.
Hardiness: Zones 3-9
Care: Deadhead to prolong bloom.
Pests and Diseases: None of significance.
Propagation: Cuttings or division immediately after blooming; layering.
Companion plants: Siberian iris, coreopsis ‘Moonbeam’ and ‘Zagreb’, plumbago, , Nepeta x faassenii ‘Walker’s Low’.
Karen Meyers