We can get a few Sweet William plants thru the Winter here after they bloom, Matoad. But, it isn't really worth it. The plants get so damaged that they often don't have nice flowers.

Usually Dianthus barbatus is thought of as a biennial and that's really the best way to grow 'em. Just purchase a seed packet of a variety that you like best, find a good patch of garden soil and sprinkle 'em in a very shallow drill. Keep the weeds out of 'em and when the rains of Autumn come (or the 1st thing in the Spring), transplant the little guys where you want 'em to bloom. They'll put on quite a show for you.

If those are self-seeded volunteers you are looking at in your garden - save 'em. They tend to all go pink, I've noticed, but they can still be nice plants.

Steve

Steve- now that you mention it, the plants have many brown leaves and do look crummy when it warms up. I can't remember what colors I got. How can I tell if they are "self-seeded volunteers"? Thanks for your help, Mary Ann.......(these sweet williams started from a pkg of wildflower seed I planted 5 yrs ago).

Mary Ann, the volunteers should be a good deal greener than the plants that bloomed last year and then survived the Winter. Young Sweet William plants may well show some frost burn but the old plants which have expended so much energy blooming last year . . . well, probably 5 or more out of 10 are just flat gone. The few that survive are likely fairly "crippled" with damage  much of the plant dead, stems yellow, etc.

Steve