List of articles
- The Article Section
- Allwoods are celebrated and renown for Carnations and Pinks
- Assistance for Non Members and Visitors to the Site.
- A look at soil for Perpetual Carnations in the greenhouse
- In the Beginning
- Keith Mastaglio Living Diary
- Brian Yates Living Diary
- Plant Pots
- 50 years on
- Is this a sport?
- Brian Yates home page
- Cuttings by Brian Yates
- The International Dianthus Register and Checklist
- Look-alike Laced Pinks
- Early Cuttings
- Carnations - Beginners Guide
- Trailing Carnations
- A smell, a fragrance.
- HOW TO GROW PINKS.
- Hotbox Sulfume
- "Letter from Allwoods"
- Daily Sudoku Puzzle
- Alliance, Ohio, The Carnation City
- Wanted Yearbooks
- Wanted Border Carnations
- Members Own Tips
- Christmas Day Pinks
- A Visit to John Barrington’s Nursery
- Request for help from New Zealand
- Favourite Buttonholes
- Dianthus and Climate Change
- Scented Carnations
- Carnations and Capricorns
- Early recollections of dianthus
- Carnations and Beans by Graham R Davis
- Flowers for the Cutting Garden
- Erin Mitchell
- Gary Hammerton in Spain
- John Lewis Store Peterborough
- Carnation Fever Hits Fashion World
- Cake recipes from the AGM
- Brian Yates does it again!
- Garden News
- evergreen4ever
- Christmas Carnations
- Annual Carnations.
- PF Trials report by Peter Booker
- The Story of the Carnation
- Vandalism of the polytunnel
- The Gardening Apprentice
- Above and beyond the call of duty
- A visit to Eileen Galbally
- Blue Carnations in Hastings
- Breeding new pinks by Sue Russell
- Old Crimson Clove Border WANTED
- Profile of Wallace William Manley
- The Legendary Malmaison
- A Brief Overview Carnations and Pinks
- My Trip to Allwoods by Brian Yates
- My Way With Hormone Rooting Powder
- Valentines Day Carnations
- Calling Dianthus Enthusiasts around Evesham
- Labels
- Carnations a Personal Perspective
Scented Carnations
By Brian Yates
First posted on the discussion forum
May I start by thanking Mr John Barrington of Newport Mills Nursery on tele 01823 490 231 for his great selection of classic scented carnations that he has for sale.
We all think we know what we mean when we say we grow carnations, but if you stop and ask the average person in the street then you will get a completly different story. 90% will remark on how in days gone by carnations had that rich deep clove scent that intoxicated you just as you caught sight of thier beauty.
Only yesterday I had occasion to visit the Elderly Care Unit at Southampton General Hospital and the person opposite the person I was visiting had a very large beautiful vase of carnations. I crossed over to her and remarked on how nice they were. Without a seconds thought she came back to me. “They dont smell, are they plastic ones”.
Embarrassed at this retort I backed off, but the point had been made and it struck home. Just go into any florists and try and find a perfumed carnation. Its called mission Impossible.
I can see the need to grow exhibition carnations that will grace and win at any show, but sadly we seem to have lost the rich perfume along the way.
I would be very interested in the views of growers who each year seem to churn out these scentless flowers and call them carnations, or indeed any other member or other interested reader who has a view on this subject.
Why not award points at shows for scent as well as all the other attributes such as colour, size, uniformity, presentation and the like. That way we may see once again blooms that fill the air with thier aromma.
Let us get back to carnations that used to grace many a drawing room vase in days gone by. Let us start growing for the needs of the public and then its just possible that the best known cut flower may rise to an even higher dizzy hieght. We may even be able to compete with the cheap importer who imports these flowers that one can identify by sight as a carnation, but just close your eyes and then try and tell me what flower it is.