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Malmaisons
Malmaison Carnations
Although the Malmaison carnation originated in France, its cultivation was perfected in Great Britain. ‘Old Blush’ or ‘Souvenir de la Malmaison’. so called because it resembled the flowers of the Bourbon rose of that name, first came to this country during the I860 s. By the end of the century a number of cultivars were being grown and they had become the flower of fashion for the London Season. All have a distinctive fragrance of cloves and their natural flowering time is from June to August.
The cultivation of Malmaisons is similar in many respects to the modern perpetual flowering carnation. However, they prefer a cooler temperature during the autumn and winter months and need to he placed in a cool airy glasshouse or preferably in a well-ventilated conservatory. Care must be taken not to over-water, but by early April growth will have commenced and weak feeding can start using a tomato fertiliser, as the shoots run up to bloom. To avoid bleaching of the flowers shade as soon as the buds commence to burst and show colour. During bright days it is beneficial to keep the paths of the house damped down. In the summer months they can also he placed outside on the patio as flowering pot plants but they must not become waterlogged at the roots during wet conditions.
Propagation in the main is by stem cuttings but some cultivars can he difficult; Once rooted they should be potted up into 3” pots and although not essential 1 prefer to transfer them to 5” pots prior to potting them into 7” pots for flowering. All cultivars will need to be stopped once they have become established in their 3” pots and approximately three to four shoots allowed to run up. This will mean that flowering will start during the summer of the year after stopping, although in the past a few gardeners allowed the formation of one flower in the first year, and then, after stopping, four to five flowers were formed in the second year. When potting in their final pots for flowering, a loam-based John Innes No 2 compost is ideal.
During the height of their popularity, specimen Malmaisons were grown for four to five years with fifty to a hundred fowers per plant. These days plants are normally only grown for a second year hut given another potting they can he grown on for a third year.