A Gardeners Forum Forums General Discussion The Plants and Flowers Forum Mystery Plants? My yard had been taken over by a mystery flower?

Hello to all..

My husband and I purchased a foreclosed home about three years ago. The backyard is huge and but was not taken care of so it was somewhat wild we when we first moved in, with a thick layer of leaves and bushes everywhere. The first spring/summer I was surprised to see a variety of flowers pop up ..mostly tulips, daffodils, begonias, purple queen, and even a couple of rose and hydrangea bushes. Last spring, there were no surprises and the only new plants were the ones I added. However this spring (our third)the entire backyard has been taken over by a pink/white flower. Some are light pink and white; some are hot pink with white; others are hot pink with light pink and some are solid dark red. They are all over the back yard, growing both in sunny and shaded spots alike. I have no idea what they are. In the last photo (red flower) there are some green plants next to it ..those are ones that have not bloomed yet. I would love for them to last all summer as in the words of my 10 year old "they make the backyard look magical". Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

Those are SO pretty! I don't know what they are but I have seen them for sale in the nurseries in CA all the time.

These are a dianthus, sweet william. A cousin to carnations. I love them. They are usually a biennial and make just a small green plant the first year. Then bloom the second. They can reseed but I don't find them weedy or pesty.