Thursday, August 27, 2015

FAVOURITE FLOWERS No 3

Although I do really love camellias and am very fond of chrysanthemums I really must put CARNATION as my favourite "C" flower.   I have grown them, given them as a gift and also received them as a gift.  They are one flower that seems to please everyone with its simple beauty, fragrance and the fact that they are long lasting as a cut flower.

 
They are of course of the Dianthus family along with their smaller cousin the pinks.  



They are a herbaceous perennial growing to 80cms in height.  The leaves asere glaucous greyish-green to blue-green, slender up to 15cms long.  Carnations have been incultivation for over 2000 years. 



The flowers are produced singly or up to five together in a cyme they are 3-5 cms in diameter, and sweetly scented; the original flower colour is bright pinkish-purple. but cultivars of other colours, including, red, white, yellow and green, have been developed.


Some fragrance-less carnations cultivars are often used as boutonnieres for men.


Growing carnations:  They require well-drained, neutral to slightly alkaline soil, and full sun.  Numerous cultivars have been selected for garden planting.  Colombia is the largest carnation producer in the world.


For the most part, carnations express love, fascination and distinction, although there are many variations of meaning, dependent on the colour.

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11 comments:

  1. AnonymousAugust 27, 2015 at 5:41 AM

    The were my mom's favourites as well.

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    1. MimsieAugust 31, 2015 at 1:57 PM

      Difficult not to love them for their beauty alone and their glorious perfume.

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  2. Elephant's ChildAugust 27, 2015 at 7:08 AM

    Pretty things - but I have a weakness for their smaller, more fragrant cousins, the pinks.

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    1. MimsieAugust 31, 2015 at 1:58 PM

      You rarely see pinks being grown here for some reason. They too are beautiful but I can't remember the last time I saw any cultivation.

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  3. RiverAugust 27, 2015 at 2:08 PM

    My dad loved carnations, he tried to grow them every place we lived and was never successful. When he died, I put a huge bunch of carnations in his hands in the coffin, so he could have them with him forever.

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    1. MimsieAugust 31, 2015 at 1:59 PM

      That is so wonderful about the carnations and your dad.
      Some people seem to have great success growing them and others not so much. I have friends who grow them in pots and they seem to do well.

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  4. Yamini MacLeanAugust 27, 2015 at 5:57 PM

    Hari OM
    Every one a winner! Like EC though, in our family, pinks were the favoured variety. Gorgeous! YAM xx

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    1. MimsieAugust 31, 2015 at 1:59 PM

      I wonder why we had so little do with pinks which are also very lovely. Maybe they don't do so well in WA? xx

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    2. Yamini MacLeanAugust 31, 2015 at 6:23 PM

      Hari OM
      that's possible - I guess pinks grew well in soggy British gardens! Yxx

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  5. TezAugust 28, 2015 at 12:33 AM

    One of my mum's favourites too. I'm a native plant lover through and through, with grevilleas being my all-time favourite, but I can see the beauty in the carnation. Gorgeous colours.

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    1. MimsieAugust 31, 2015 at 2:01 PM

      They were of course more of an old fashioned plant I guess. Nowadays are probably grown in hot houses for the florist trade.
      I too grow native plants and trees but also frangipani and a few miniature roses all in pots.

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