"Could you be growing carnations?"Yes..definitely! Growing carnations in your back yard or garden will be a pleasure... There are hundreds of varieties of carnation. ( latin name: Dianthus ) Choose varieties with a fairly strong scent. Some of the hybrid varieties have lost their scent during the genetic changes. The colours are beautiful and will add a splash of colour all over the garden. These carnations can be grown from seed and are available online at Thompson & Morgan Carnations like full sun but some varieties will tolerate a little shade. Soil should be well-drained, so your rock garden would be a good position for some of the shorter types. Get creative when growing carnations! Carnations can be grown in pots, on terraces or dotted around your back garden or yard. They will grow anywhere but as they have floppy stems and heavy flowers, it's best to avoid windy areas.
Start your carnations off by sowing seed or buy ready made baby plants from your garden centre. I like to start as many plants every year with seed if I can, but sometimes there aren't enough hours in the day :-) They don't like acid soil so add a little lime before planting if ncessary. Sow seed indoors in early spring, in well-drained pots or trays of fresh compost, and plant out when the seedlings are a few inches high (7-8cms) and look strong enough. Give plants about 10-12 inches (25-30cm) of growing space. Growing carnations and pinks as edging or borders round larger beds will encourage bees and butterflies, and look stunning.   Growing carnations - and caring for them:I always forget to water the carnations, and they never mind that much! You should water them well when planting, but otherwise they seem to do well in even the driest of conditions. Remember to water them occasionally though. Slugs tend to like carnations. They have a very soft foliage making the new plants a great meal for slugs and snails. Gravel helps this problem and well-drained soil. An old gardener's trick is to put a bowl full of beer buried almost up to the rim near your plants. Slugs apparantly prefer the taste of beer to flowers... I've tried this with lettuce plants - the slugs turned their backs on the beer and devoured my lettuces instead. But you never know. It could be worth a try! Broken egg shells also help deter slugs. Don't mulch carnations. The soft foliage is easily rotted through a wet environment. Carnations and pinks like a good airflow and are happiest in sunny dry places.
Don't deny yourself a few cut flowers in the house. Carnations and pinks look wonderful and smell divine. Cut flower heads off when they die and the plant should produce more and more blooms. Growing carnations and pinks in your garden isn't difficult and the rewards are fabulous! Find out more about looking after your fresh cut flowers here.. Cut Flowers Happy Gardening! Grow Your Own Winter Food: A good diet incorporating plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables is a must if you want to stay fit and healthy and keep the bugs at bay during the cold winter months. Growing your own winter food is just one way of ensuring you get the freshest, tastiest produce packed with goodness straight from the garden to the kitchen table. This easy-to-follow self-sufficiency book shows you how to grow your own fruit and vegetables for winter use and includes facts on each fruit, vegetable or herb as well as nutritional value, recipe ideas and storage suggestions.  Grow Your Own Winter Food is perfect for those with limited gardening experience, with gardens big or small who are looking to become more self-sufficient. Order it now direct from the publisher... Grow Your Own Winter Food Grow It, Cook It!: Many crops, including herbs, can be produced in a relatively small space with a little pre-planning and organizing: in containers, on a balcony, and indoors. Herbs are perfect for enhancing the flavour of cooking, treating minor ailments, and preventing colds and flu. Your own back garden will not only produce the best food on the planet for you and your loved ones, it is also economical, environmentally friendly and more fun than shopping. Gardening is more than a hobby; it's a way of life. .  This book provides all the information you need to keep your family and friends healthy, fit and enjoying life to the full. Order it now direct from the publisher... Grow It, Cook It! Grow Your Own Pharmacy: If, like me, you want to be able to eat the best food on the planet, grow your own!  • Clear instructions on planning, planting, growing and harvesting the fruits, vegetables and herbs required for a healthy vitamin intake. • Recipes and menus to help incorporate the fruit and vegetables into your daily diet. Grow Your Own Pharmacy Herbs and Spices: Some herbs grow vigorously, some are tender and need special growing conditions, some are annuals, some perennials, some you can grow indoors, all can be grown in pots or directly into the ground. There are also certain spices, such as chillies, that can be grown in temperate climates.  This clear and concise directory of herbs and spices provides all the essential information to help you grow a selection of these flavour-enhancing foods in small or large spaces. Ideas for which herbs and spices go best with which foods also accompany each description, so that you can really enliven your repertoire of recipes. Order it now direct from the publisher... Herbs and Spices Granny's Book Of Good Old Fashioned Common Sense is packed full of great ideas and tips. Granny brings traditional home-making up to date with cooking, gardening, needlecrafts and even games to play with the kids...Click on the link below to order your copy.  Cooking doesn’t have to be a chore and preparing nourishing home cooked meals for the family will certainly keep them away from the goodie shelf. Gardening encourages physical exercise and a good healthy dollop of fresh air. And you can get the kids involved too. Before the days of computer games and electronic pets, children used to have fun without rummaging about in the fridge every five minutes. Enjoy a few rainy-day games and crafts of yesteryear with today’s kids. They’ll love it and so will you! Granny's Book Of Good Old Fashioned Common Sense Back To Flowers Page Back to Flower and Garden Tips Homepage Click here to subscribe to "Creative Gardening" - Your FREE monthly ezine! www.flower-and-garden-tips.com/growingcarnations.html |
"Fenbows Nutmeg Clove" - classic garden carnation.
Their own "Giant Chabaud Mixed" collection.
And if you're growing carnations in the US, this hardy mix is available from Gurney's (US deliveries)