Cheddar pinks 'Tiny Rubies'

Questions about Cheddar pinks 'Tiny Rubies'

Does Cheddar pinks 'Tiny Rubies' need sun or shade?

Cheddar pinks 'Tiny Rubies' grows in full sun (6 or more hours of direct sun a day).

It wants dry, sharply drained soil, on the lean side, with no feeding, and little watering once settled. Once settled in, it stands drought.

What zones does Cheddar pinks 'Tiny Rubies' grow in?

USDA zones 3 to 9. It is hardy to zone 3, which means it survives winter nights down to about −30 °F (−34 °C).

Gardening in Canada? Use the USDA zone for your town: Canada's own zone map uses different numbers.

When does Cheddar pinks 'Tiny Rubies' flower in my zone?

In zone 5 it flowers late May to late June. As a spring flower it moves about a week for every zone: earlier where it is warmer, later where it is colder.

Worked out from Hopkins' bioclimatic law: spring arrives about four days later for each degree of latitude north, and one zone is roughly two degrees. A warm spring or a cold one moves any garden two weeks either way.

How far apart should Cheddar pinks 'Tiny Rubies' be planted?

10 in (25 cm) apart, from the middle of one plant to the middle of the next. That is a little closer than its full width of 12 in (30 cm), so a group knits into one patch.

It grows 4 in (10 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.

How many Cheddar pinks 'Tiny Rubies' plants do I need?

At 10 in apart, set out in staggered rows:

• 17 to fill 10 square feet (about 1 m²)
• 13 for a single row 10 ft (3 m) long
• 55 to fill a 4 × 8 ft bed on its own

In a mixed border, plant it as runs of three or five along the front (or one even row, in a formal bed).

In the bed above, the planner used 16 in four groups.

Is Cheddar pinks 'Tiny Rubies' poisonous to dogs and cats?

Yes: mild toxicity to people, dogs, cats and horses. May cause mild stomach upset if eaten. Handling the plant can irritate skin.

Rated from NC State Extension and the ASPCA. Where references disagree, the more cautious rating is used.

Is there a pet-safe plant like Cheddar pinks 'Tiny Rubies'?

These come closest to doing what Cheddar pinks 'Tiny Rubies' does, and no toxicity is recorded for them:

• Sea thrift: the same job in a bed, the same flowering time and the same colour; 4 in taller.
• Common thyme: the same job in a bed and the same flowering time; 6 in taller, lavender, not pink.
• Wall germander: the same job in a bed and the same colour; 8 in taller, flowers late June to early August.

Matched the way the planner's Swap button matches plants: the same job in a bed, then size, then flowering time.

Do deer eat Cheddar pinks 'Tiny Rubies'?

Mostly not. NC State lists it as resistant to deer and rabbits. No plant is proof against a hungry deer in a hard winter, but this one is low on the menu.

What flowers after Cheddar pinks 'Tiny Rubies'?

Cheddar pinks 'Tiny Rubies' is over by late June. These start as it finishes and carry the same spot on, so it never goes flat:

• Black-eyed Susan: from mid July to mid September, 24 in tall.
• Butterfly weed: from late June to early August, 24 in tall.
• Carpathian bellflower 'Blue Clips': from late June to late August, 8 in tall.

What does Cheddar pinks 'Tiny Rubies' look like in winter?

Cheddar pinks 'Tiny Rubies' keeps its blue-green leaves all winter, so it is one of the plants that hold a bed together from November to March, when the perennials have gone.

Is Cheddar pinks 'Tiny Rubies' good for bees and butterflies?

Cheddar pinks 'Tiny Rubies' is visited by bees, butterflies and moths.