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How to grow Carnations
Learn how to grow Carnations in your garden. Carnation are some of the oldest flowers in the world, being cultivated for the last 2000 years, and probably native to the Mediterranean region.
Carnations belong to the species of Dianthus, with the name coming from Greek (dianthus meaning ‘heavenly flower’). Carnations are lightly perfumed perennial plants, which can grow up to 80cm tall, with greyish green leaves and a single or up to five flowers appearing together.
The natural colour of the flowers is bright shade of pink or purple, but other cultivars bearing white, yellow and red have also been developed. These plants require a spot of full sun, and well-drained, neutral to slightly alkaline soil. As carnations are used to express love and fascination, they are often worn on special occasions, especially Mother's Day and weddings. They are often referred to in old herbals as clove gill flowers, which were used to flavour beverages like wines and ales.
How to grow Carnations in Pots
If your are growing carnations in pots, put two roots in an 11-in. pot, filled with light, turfy loam, well drained (too much moisture being injurious), pressing the earth firmly round the roots. Stand them on a bed of ashes in a sheltered position, and when the flower-stems appear, stake and tie up carefully. As the buds swell thin out the weakly ones. To prevent them bursting unevenly put an india-rubber ring round the bud, or tie it with raffia.
They will flourish in the open borders even in towns if planted in light loam, and may be propagated by layers. Choose for this purpose fine outside shoots, not those which have borne flowers. Cut off all the lower leaves, leaving half a dozen near the top untouched. Make incisions on the under sides of the layers, just below the third joint.
Peg down, and cover the stems with equal quantities of leaf-mould and light loam. Do not water them till the following day. The young plants may be separated and potted off as soon as they have taken root. They may also be increased by pipings. Fill the pots nearly to the top with light, rich mould and fill up with silver sand. Break off the pipings at the third joint, then in each piping cut a little upward slit, plant them pretty thickly in the sand, and place the pot on a gentle hotbed, or on a bed of sifted coal ashes.
Put on the sashes, and keep the plants shaded from the sun till they have taken root, then harden off gradually, and place each of the young plants separately in a small pot. Carnations may also be grown from seed sown in spring. When the seedlings have made six or eight leaves, prick them out into pots or beds. They will flower the following year. The beds must be well drained, as stagnant wet is very injurious to them.
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