Fringed white petals, spicy magenta cushions and deep maroon-black blooms: carnations (Dianthus) cover nearly every shape and colour, from three-inch rockery mats to tall stems for cutting. Abundant in flower, they fill beds, edges, rocky ground and garden boxes, and if you cut the wilted blooms regularly, fresh ones keep coming all summer.
| Name | Dianthus |
|---|---|
| Family | Caryophyllaceae |
| Type | Perennial, annual or biennial |
| Height | 8 to 32 inches (20 to 80 cm) |
| Exposure | Full sun, part sun |
| Soil | Ordinary |
| Flowering | End of spring to early fall |
Caring for carnation is easy so here are the tips to produce magnificent flowers all summer long.
There are a great many species and varieties of carnation. From the many species, here are the most common ones:
The most common carnations differ mainly in height and in how long they live, which is what decides where each one belongs in the garden. Use the table below to match a species to a bed, an edge or a rockery.
| Species | Height | Life cycle | Best used for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clove-pink carnation | 20 to 32 in (50 to 80 cm) | Perennial or annual | Tallest of the group, back of the flower bed |
| China pink | 8 to 12 in (20 to 30 cm) | Annual | Low seasonal colour, garden boxes |
| Maiden pink | 3 to 6 in (10 to 20 cm) | Annual or perennial | Rocky ground and rockeries |
| Sweet William carnation | 20 to 32 in (20 to 60 cm) | Perennial or annual | Tall clumps for beds and cutting |
| Garden pink carnation | 8 to 12 in (20 to 30 cm) | Perennial | Very fragrant edging |
Mixing several species in the same bed gives colour and scent over a longer stretch of the season.
Within each species, a handful of named varieties turn up again and again in garden centres and seed racks. The table compares them on the points that matter when choosing: size, colour, scent and where they look best.
| Variety | Height | Flower colour | Scent | Best use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ‘Sooty’ | 18 in (45 cm) | Deep maroon-black | Light and sweet | Beds and cutting |
| ‘Flashing Light’ (‘Leuchtfunk’) | 6 in (15 cm) | Scarlet-crimson | Very faint | Mats over walls and gravel |
| ‘Mrs Sinkins’ | 12 in (30 cm) | Pure white, fringed | Very strong | Fragrant edging, path sides |
| ‘Firewitch’ (‘Feuerhexe’) | 6 in (15 cm) | Bright magenta-pink | Spicy, moderate | Rockeries, front of bed |
Carnations of all species will do well in pots. This can actually help control spread, since these self-sow very easily. As annuals, you’d transfer early spring seedlings or new plants to your containers in spring. Or, sow directly in the pot in mid-spring.
The most important is to make sure the soil never dries out. This might mean watering every day. Evening is best, but in hot weather you can give a little water around noon. Make sure it isn’t cold from the tap, let it sit an hour or so before pouring it under the leaves.
Carnation is very resilient and only requires little care.
For perennial carnations, cut the stems to an inch (a couple centimeters) in fall and if possible cover with dead leaf mulch.
For annual carnations, pull them out in fall because they don’t grow back year after year.
Actually, carnation is a common name that refers to a great many grassy flowers, most of them part of the Dianthus family.
The scope and range of the carnation species means there is always one to meet any combination of shape and color.
This perennial or annual, depending on the carnation variety, is nonetheless always abundant in its blooming and thus helps populate your flower bed, edges, rocky ground or garden boxes.
Not to be confused with French marigolds which is part of the Asteraceae family, and which often is lumped together with carnations due to their resemblance, carnation is a distinct set of species and cultivars.
With bright colors and very fragrant, seize the opportunity of mixing several species within the same flower bed.
These carnations hold very well in a bouquet and are beautiful in a floral composition.
