Gypsophila Pink

The pink form of the annual gypsophila. Same fine branching stems at 45 to 60cm, same misty cloud of small flowers, in a soft rose-pink instead of white.

It does a different job from the white. White lifts and separates; pink blends. In a bouquet of peach, apricot, blush and cream it acts as a warm haze holding everything together, where the white version would introduce a cold note. That makes it more useful in a warm-toned cutting scheme than the more famous white ever is.

It takes eight to ten weeks to flower from sowing, a little slower than 'Covent Garden' but still among the fastest things in the catalogue, and it has the same short flowering window per sowing. Successional sowing every three weeks from March to June is what keeps it coming. It dislikes being moved, so sow it where it is to grow, and give it sun and lean, free-draining ground. Rich soil produces soft growth and fewer flowers. It self-seeds gently and the seedlings usually stay pink.