How to Select Carnations

The carnation is a popular garden flower cherished for its beauty and fragrance. Related to dianthus plants, the carnation has been domestically grown for over 2,000 years. It is an edible flower, excellent in cut bouquets and dried arrangements. Its usefulness and long blooming times make the carnation an all-round ornamental. The carnation grows on slender grey-green foliage and fits in small spaces. Traditionally carnation flowers are pink. In recent years, growers have developed flower colors from red to green and striped to bicolor. Plant carnations for a homegrown supply of these versatile flowers.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Carnation seeds
• Carnation bedding plants

1. Plant a garden of pinks. Use pink carnations with vinca, begonias, impatiens and other pink flowers. Mix annual and perennial flowers with azalea or camellia bushes for full season color. The pinks grow well as foundation plants next to a house. Carnations like part sun and shade with moist soil.

2. 
    

   Make a cutting garden with large carnations, snapdragons and bearded iris. Large carnations have one large flower on the stem. Carnation plants, with their tall slender growing habits, fit well in gardens with cosmos and zinnias. Good cutting flowers need sturdy stems to hold the flowers upright. Keep stakes handy for wind-blown or flower-heavy plants. Carnations are perennials and will gradually fill a corner. Divide them periodically to make room for other cutting flowers.

3. 
    

   Create an eye-catching carnation hedge or border. Plant the carnations along a drive or around a tree. Use mini carnations to soften fence lines and provide grey-green foliage up to 30 inches tall. Mini-carnations have several small flowers on each plant. The flower sprays provide more color than large single-flower carnations.

4. Use small or dwarf carnations for rock gardens, container gardens and border edgings. Dwarf carnations grow 1 to 2 feet tall. They have several flowers on one stem. Children enjoy planting dwarf flower gardens using carnations, marigolds and other short annuals.

5. 
    

   Pick sweet and spicy carnations for eating. Taste the petals as carnations have different flavors. Use their petals on pastas and salads. Sprinkle sweet carnations as garnish on desserts. Wash the plants thoroughly and gently pull petals from the flower. Do not use regular fertilizer or insecticide on edible carnations. Use only products suited to food crops.

6. 
    

   Plant carnations in pots. Mini-carnations and dwarf carnations tolerate potting well. Put the potting container in a decorative pot or basket for home decor. Choose a ruffled or bicolor carnation for a gift pot. Plantable carnations are a thoughtful birthday or thank-you gift.

Tips & Warnings

• Use carnations for corsages and quick bouquets. Tuck in baby's breath or fern strands for foliage.
• Florists warn that carnations should be kept away from ripening fruit and vegetables. Ethylene gas given off by the fruits and veggies makes the carnations droop.