Here is an ideal Dianthus for adding color to a rock garden or used as edging.  The photos of Dianthus anatolicus seem to be conflicted, but it is generally considered to be white to pale pink, with a darker, contrasting eye and scalloped petals.  Until my own plants flower, I cannot be specific.  This clump-forming Dianthus, native from Turkey to Tibet, prefers well-draining soil (partial to soil on the dry side) and as much sun as you can muster.  Given what it requires, Dianthus anatolicus will provide all the color you could want in July and August.  As is typical of the species, the foliage is also an asset - blue-green and needlelike.  Dianthus anatolicus grows from six to 12 inche in Zones 6-10.  (Photo by Sten Porse, Wiki Commons, licensed by Creative Commons Attribution Share Alike License)

Dianthus armeria, also known as Deptford Pink, is one of my favorite wildflowers.  Deptford Pinks, an annual or biennial (the consensus seems to be conflicted),  are uncommonly beautiful.  The bright pink, star-shaped flowers grow in clusters, and if you examine them closely, each dainty pink blossom is dappled with white.  Although Deptford Pinks grow in practically every state, they are not native.  They are native to England and Europe and named “Deptford” for the town (now part of London) where they once grew in abundance.  I don’t know when or how they arrived in this country, but I am glad they did, and I feel certain it would be a most romantic tale.  Deptford Pinks grow between one and two feet tall in full sun/partial shade.  When I was doing a little research on this wildflower, I was bothered by the opinions of some that Deptford Pinks are considered a "weed" by some.  I couldn't disagree more - read my Blog about "invasives."  I am uncertain about the hardiness zones for Deptford Pinks, but since they grow in all states (except Texas and maybe one other), I would say most any zone would do.  (Photo of Dianthus armeria by Bernd Haynold of Germany, Wiki Commons)

Ah, Sweet William.  No one is quite certain who this William was that this lovely, scented "pink" is named for, but this plant has been known in England  since at least 1573.  I remember it
in my grandmother's garden, and whenever I smell its spicy perfume, I am transported there.  Although Dianthus barbatus is considered a biennial
or short-lived perennial, it is worth having in your garden in every way:  the splash of color it adds to borders, the scent, the wide array of colors it comes in, the ease in growing, and the cut flowers it provides.  Dianthus barbatus grows to about 12 inches in full sun.  Zones 5-9.

No photo of Dianthus barbatus "Heart Attack," so take a look here.  I don't think there are many flowers more irresistable to the eyes or to the nose than Sweet William unless it's this perennial Sweet William.  With red/black flower clusters, it will bloom from early spring and sporadically for months afterward in full sun.  Zones 4-9, 12 inches, Full Sun.

Grass-like leaves and clusters of deep pink to red blooms - scented ones, too, make this ideal for the front of the border or the rock garden.  Dianthus carthusianorum grows from 8 to 12 inches high in full sun in Zones 3-8.  (Photo by Brent Haynold and licensed by CCA-Share Alike License, Wiki Commons.)  COMING SOON.

Dianthus deltoides is called the Maiden Pink because each stem carries only one flower, but don't let that fool you.  It is a vigorous and free-flowering "pink," and I can almost guarantee that you will fall it love with its multitude of tiny, but vibrantly colored, blooms.   It is mat-forming, which makes it ideal for slopes, and it is low growing (6 to 8 inches), which makes it also suited for the rock garden, border, or used as a ground cover.    It is good for a second flush of blooms if given a good haircut after its initial bloom.   It is one Dianthus that is said to thrive in shade.  It also freely reseeds and will naturalize.  What more could you wask for?  (The beautiful photo at left is by Jean Pol Grandmont of France and is used with his permission.  Wiki Commons.)

Blue-gray leaves and solitary, toothed, and clove-scented pink blooms make this one ideal for the rock garden.  Only growing from 6 to 12 inches  high, this long-blooming European native will spread from one to three feet, making a most attractive eye-catcher for you and for the butterflies.  Full sun and dry to medium moist soil in Zones 3-8.   (Photo by Kurt Stuber and licensed by CCA-SA-3.0 Unported License, Wiki Commons.)  COMING SOON.

There is no photo yet of my own Dianthus japonicus, but you can see a photo here.  Dianthus japonicus is native to Japan where it grows on sandy beaches.  Although this Dianthus is a short-lived perennial, it does reseed reliably so that it will become perennial in the garden.  This Dianthus grows to two feet with waxy, wide foliage, which is unlike the narrow, blue green foliage we have come to expect of Dianthus.  The clusters of rosy pink flowers are lovely.  Full sun/part shade.  Zones 5-10.

Dianthus knappii, native to Yugoslavia,  is quite different from what we usually think of when it comes to Dianthus, or "Pinks."  The notched petals of this Dianthus are not pink at all, but a soft, buttery yellow, which is reason enough to grow it.  Dianthus knappii  "Yellow Harmony" also differs in that it has a more upright growing habit, rather than prostrate, and grows to about 10 inches.  This Dianthus is a nice surprise tucked here and there in the garden, and when visitors ask you what that little yellow flower is, you just tell them "it's a 'pink,' of course."  "Yellow Harmony" prefers dry soil and sun.  Give it a good shearing after blooming for a tidier appearance and a repeat bloom.   Zones 3-9.  Quarts.  (Photo by Kenpei, from Wiki Commons, and licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0  Unported license.)

Even without the blooms, I have already become smitten with the foliage of Dianthus myrtinervius: densely matted, deep green, and low growing.  Dianthus myrtinervius, native to the Balkins, grows to about three inches, so be sure to plant it where it will not be overwhelmed by taller plants.  It is covered in dark pink, solitary blooms on short stems in summer and is ideal for the rock garden, alpine garden, and even a container where it appreciates full sun and well-drained soil.  It is also a bee and butterly magnet.  Zones 4-8.  Quarts. (Photo by Kenpei, Wiki Commons

Dianthus petraeus is a mat-forming Dianthus that is perfect for the rock garden where its single white (sometimes pink), 1/2-inch serrated flowers will enchant all who see them.  Dianthus petraeus grows to about 12 inches in sun/partial shade. (Photo by Franz Xaver from Wiki Commons

I love this Dianthus pinifolius,  with narrow, blue green foliage and dark red clustered flowers that sit atop wiry stems.  Dianthus pinifolius, or Pineleaf Garden Pink, thrives in a hot, sunny spot and is ideal for the alpine/rock garden where it will bloom from late spring to early summer.  Pineleaf Garden Pink grows from 6 to 12 inches in Zones 4-8.  This is also one for the xeriscape garden.  (Photo by Ghislain, from Wiki Commons.

The fringed, double and semi-double Dianthus plumarius, with blue-gray, grass-like foliage is a spring beauty indeed.  Dianthus plumarius comes in an array of colors ranging from red, through pink, to white, and often with contrasting "eyes."  "Spring Beauty" grows in sun to about 10 inches and is ideal for the rock garden, rock walls, and for edging.  If I had to choose between the flowers and the foliage of Dianthus, it would be a toss-up, but if threw the scent into the mix, that would win hands down.  These also benefit from an occasional haircut after blooming for a tidier appearance and a second flush of blooms.  Zones 4-8.  Quarts.  (Photo by Louis Van Houtte, 1810-1876, from Wiki Commons and in the public domain.)