Lychnis flos-cuculi Jenny

The Lychnis flos-cuculi 'Jenny' is a very pretty variety of Ragged Robin with very double, tousled, and soft pink flowers. This adorable little perennial plant, also known as Ragged Robin, is robust despite the delicate appearance of its flowering. Its small, ethereal flowers, very abundant, appear in late spring and early summer, carried by surprising purple stems. It is a fully hardy plant that thrives in moist soils and sunny pond edges. Its delicate flowering, animated by the slightest breeze, softens the stiffness of other perennials, and it works wonders in natural gardens.

This Ragged Robin belongs to the family of caryophyllaceae; it is a cousin of carnations. It is named as such because it blooms during the period when the cuckoo sings. It is an erect perennial that thrives in wet areas of Europe (marshes, peat bogs) and can also be found in meadows up to 2500 m (8202ft) above sea level. The 'Jenny' variety, a pretty form with very double flowers, was obtained in England at the famous Blooms nursery.

Its base is a stoloniferous stump producing a low tuft composed of bright green, semi-evergreen, spatulate lanceolate leaves, which can reach 12 cm (5in) in length. From this base emerge in May-June branched, slightly leaved stems tinged with purple-red, about 50-60 cm (20-24in) tall, which bear at their tips clusters of bell-shaped calyxes, initially whitish then pink, veined with red. The calyxes open to release delicate, pure pink flowers, about 3 cm (1in) in diameter, composed of multiple deeply cut petals, forming fine strips. The Lychnis flos-cuculi self-sows spontaneously, not always identical to the parent plant.

Their rather slender habit encourages gathering Lychnis Flos-cuculi to create a hazy mass effect. They are perfect for English gardens and the cool, humid English climate. You can plant them near a body of water or in any cool, moist soil, preferably in the sun, with companions that appreciate the same conditions, such as pink astilbes, candelabra primroses, coral-flowered heucheras, as well as white or pink Mertensia virginica and Physostegia virginiana. Their combination with peonies and grasses (small Miscanthus, Carex, ribbons of bergenia) is simply superb. The plant will take some time to establish, but it is a marvel!