Cheddar pinks are a group of perennials with a compact habit and long, grey-green leaves that form grassy-looking little mounds. Flowers appear late spring to early summer on stiff, erect stems, and may be single, double, or multi-petaled, depending on the cultivar, but they are most always fragrant. Color also depends on cultivar, though they are in pink through red shades, and white. Place near a walkway where their heady fragrance may be enjoyed, but also splendid in rock gardens and park strips. Grows 6 to 12 inches tall and 12 to 30 inches wide.
Grow in full sun and well-drained, neutral to slightly alkaline soil. Will not tolerate standing water or dampish soils. Though not evergreen, they hold their foliage late into the fall; shear off the old foliage in late winter before new growth emerges. Deadheading will prolong the bloom season, but do so while the flowers are still fresh and enjoy them in a vase indoors.