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
Valentines Day Carnations
Valentines Day Carnations
Traditionally red roses are given as a token of love on Valentines Day but for the carnation enthusiast roses are an inappropriate flower. It is not really practical to grow ones own roses in February. Purchasing them from the florist inevitably means blooms that have been flown half way round the world. They are relatively short lived as a cut flower. The time has come to promote the carnation as the better bloom.
What could be more romantic than giving or receiving Dianthus – The Flower of the God’s – on this truly special day for lovers. The blooms will last much longer than roses and will therefore keep you in your lovers mind for longer.
I am not suggesting a change in colour. Red should remain the colour of choice. (PF’s of course are the only cultivars which will be flowering in February). But what a splendid choice of varieties we have. For the truly passionate lovers “Red Lips” must surely be high on the list to grow. Perhaps for the more sophisticated lady “Madonna” with its dark picottee edge would be appealing. “Alcardi”, for the hot blooded Italian lover. For the older lady a deeper shade of red, even a bloom such as “Jess Hewins” with the added attraction of heady fragrance cannot fail to capture the mood of the event.
And what could cement the relationship more than knowing that the time you have spent nurturing your plants has been simply to produce the perfect bouquet for this special day.
The purpose of this article is not to provide cultural information to the novice. That is available elsewhere. (A little heat will be required at this time of year). The purpose is to encourage crusty old growers to rediscover the romance of our beautiful hobby and to inspire new growers to have a go at producing their own blooms in their greenhouse at home. As well as blooms on 14th Feb the amateur will have flowers the whole year round.
With a little practice the Casanova’s amongst you will work out how many plants to grow to provide enough bunches. As a rough guide I would suggest three plants per lover!
James Dennison 2006