Carnation - mix

Dianthus caryophyllus

Originates from Europe and Asia, where it grows on rocks and stony slopes. The leaves are linear, undivided, and silvery. The flowers are simple, white, or pink. It blooms from June to September depending on the species.

There is an incredible variety of carnations. Some adorn flower beds as perennials. Others, with their low growth, are best suited for rock gardens. Still others are tender annuals or hardy biennials.

Garden carnations, which are 60-90 cm tall, belong among the perennials. Large flowers appear from July to August. This category includes species D. caryophyllus and D. plumarius.

Rock garden pinks grow in cushion-like forms. Their height ranges from 15 to 40 cm. Rock garden species include D. allwoodii, D. deltoides, and D. arenarius.

The best-known biennial is D. barbatus (Sweet William). It reaches a height of 40 cm. The flowers come in many shades of pink, red, purple, and white. They bloom from May to July and are grown primarily for cutting.

Annual pinks are either low (15-20 cm) or tall varieties (30-40 cm). Tall varieties are also excellent for cutting. Flowers can be single-colored or multicolored in shades of white, pink, and red. Annual species include D. chinensis and D. caryophyllus.

Today, carnations are used in all types of floral arrangements. They can be made into wedding bouquets and look stunning as interior arrangements as well. Their advantage is that they last a long time, don't wilt, and don't drop their petals. Low-growing pinks are suitable primarily for window boxes, but also for edges or borders of flower beds. Smaller pinks work excellently both in standalone plantings and in mixed containers with lobelia, low marigolds, or larkspur.

How to grow pinks or carnations

• They require sunny to partially shaded positions. They don't require frequent watering, but drying out of the soil or substrate is not desirable. In June, we attach at least 70 cm long wire to mature seedlings to prevent stems from bending under the weight of the flowers. It's good to cover perennials with conifer branches for winter. We dispose of annuals after flowering and collect seeds for the next season.

• We sow annual species under glass or in cold frames from February to March. We plant them in beds only at the end of May.

  We sow D. barbatus seeds from May directly in their final location.

• Well-loosened, permeable, and sandy soil is suitable. Plants also benefit from soil well-supplied with lime and nutrients. Only the maiden pink (D. deltoides) doesn't like calcareous soil.

• Before planting, we add well-aged compost to the soil in early spring. We continuously apply complete liquid NPK fertilizer, ideally once every 14 days. As soon as the plant starts to bloom, we apply fertilizer with higher potassium content to strengthen the stem.

• Plants are attacked by powdery mildew and gray mold in high humidity. We therefore treat them both curatively and preventively with suitable fungicides.