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Flower Days
"All in the downs the fleet was moored, banners waving in the wind.
When Black-eyed Susan came aboard, and eyed the burly men.
‘Tell me ye sailors, tell me true, if my Sweet William sails with you.’
~ Black Eyed Susan, John Gay, 1720
If April showers have been kind to your garden this year, the May flowers are probably starting to appear — and amongst them may be the cheerful little Sweet Williams now blooming in bright shades of crimson, pink, magenta, and white. Their cottage-garden colours are beautifully echoed in this floral-inspired tartan.
Sweet Williams have been favourites in old-fashioned gardens for generations, and are often planted beside their sunny companions, the yellow-and-black Black-eyed Susans.
They even appear together in literature. In the 18th-century ballad Black-Eyed Susan by John Gay, Susan rows out to a ship to say goodbye to her beloved William before he sails away. The poem became enormously popular, and many people believe the flowers became linked partly because of the names of the two characters.
In the Victorian language of flowers, Sweet William symbolized gallantry and bravery, while Black-eyed Susans represented encouragement, justice, and motivation — fitting meanings for such bright, sunny flowers. Gardeners still love Sweet Williams today because they’re colourful, lightly fragrant, and attractive to bees and butterflies. ❤️ 💗 🤎 🤍 🌸 🌸 🌸 🦋
By designer Carol A.L. Martin, this tartan pays tributes to the beautiful colors in this favourite of old-fashioned garden flowers.
Sweet William is a form of dianthus barbatus, also more commonly known as carnations, or pinks.
Many legends purport to explain how Sweet William acquired its English common name, although none is verified.
The English botanist John Gerard referred to Dianthus barbatus as "Sweete Williams" in his garden catalogue of 1596. Some have speculated that the flower was named after Gerard's contemporary, William Shakespeare. It is also said to be named after Saint William of York or after William the Conqueror. Another etymological derivation is that William is a corruption of the French oillet, meaning "little eye".
Although some believe this flower to be named for William, Duke of Cumberland, this story is untrue and the result of confusion. The Duke's victory at the Battle of Culloden and his generally brutal treatment of the king's enemies, led to the noxious ragword being referred to as "stinking Billy", not the delicate and faintly scented Sweet William.
The name Sweet William occurs in several 17th century ballads, one of which also links the Black-eyed Susan flower to a common pairing in gardens. Click the flowers for a version of one of these many ballads.