Firewitch dianthus makes a low mat of blue-gray, grassy foliage topped in spring with magenta-pink blooms carrying that old-fashioned clove scent. It stays under a foot tall and spreads politely, so it earns a place at the front of the border.

Full sun and sharp drainage are the two requirements; in our clay, work in grit or plant it on a slope, wall, or raised bed. Shear it lightly after the main flush for rebloom into summer and fall. Deer pass it by, and it shrugs off drought.