Is it safe to plant Dianthus's outside now?

hey, I grew up in the plant/nursery business and we have always planted dianthus in the fall just before the nights start going below freezing. They will die down in the cold, but the roots stay alive. as soon as the nights start to warm up again (in tn its about mid april) they will sprout up and then bloom about mid june until frost. These plants will come back every year and double in size. One thing about dianthus that alot of people dont know is never plant them in a wet soggy area. If you live in an area that gets extra cold in winter, the water sitting around the roots will freeze then rot the roots. you can plant them now also, but do it before the nights get to warm. hope this helps you! good luck

If you want them to bloom this year, you should start them indoors 6-8 weeks before the last frost. I am in zone 6, and our last frost is in two weeks here.

If you plan on just sowing into the garden then wait until the last frost. (They don't like the cold) They will bloom next year for you.

Here in SC they're evergreen, perennial, blooms year round.