right next to my asphault driveway, it always has a huge snow pack on it and it's among the first areas to thaw and to warm up.

==>>> how sure are you that it didnt thaw and refreeze.. repeatedly.. during the winter ???

that said... i never had much luck with them .. they are not what i would consider a long lived.. easy to grow perennial .... [yeah.. i know.. and now everyone will pipe in about how theirs takes over the yard.. lol]

drainage might be an issue.. or winter water retention in your soil ....

ken

They rot over winter with all the rain we have here for me....not the cold.

yep, winter wet - death knell.

So.... now I'm considering what I'll do about these Dianthus.

==>> well i am glad to see its not only me.. lol ...

as to the above.. do what we did ..

MOVE ON ... and cross this piece of carp off your list ...

ken

ps: i guess one might say.. its on of the foo.. of the foo foo ;.... who needs to mess with foo foo stuff ... life is too short ... convince yourself.. though in a different season.. phlox scent is close ... lol ...

Glad to hear I'm not alone in my struggles with this plant.

So, do you think Yarrow would be a better choice?
I like a more delicate blue foliage for this spot?

I've had better luck with ANNUAL dianthus (which blooms all summer) reseeding and acting like a perennial, than perennial dianthus... However, no blue foliage. Speaking of blue foliage, one of my favorites for part sun is the very hardy small grass, blue fescue.

Make sure you aren't seeing any regrowth before you tear it all out- it is not an early grower. I'm several zones warmer and due to the wonky spring mine is just now getting going.

Thanks for the heads up cearbhaill,
I wasn't going to rip it out just yet.... at least not until I've identified something else to get into that spot anyway....

But it's good to know that I may just be a little impatient.

it will pull up easily.. when its dead ...

hope springs eternal .. but be realistic ... lol ...

ken

I find that as long as my dianthus is in a spot with good drainage such as a slightly raised bed and the voles don't get it (unfortunately, it seems to be a favorite) dianthus comes back pretty consistently for me. I have grown a variety of groundcover dianthus for their spring bloom and frosty foliage, but not tried any of the longer blooming taller dianthus.