If You Gave Me A Fresh Carnation

The carnation is everything you could want in a flower, yet people do not seem to hold it in very high esteem. The carnation is beautiful, fragrant, colourful and long lasting and it doesn’t cost much. So why has it gained such a bad reputation?

Part of the carnation’s problem is the fact that it possesses the all of the above attributes. It’s so versatile that it has been accused of being overused in floral arrangements. Many people feel that the carnation is a flower that lacks class.

They come in a large variety of colours. Garden variety carnations are usually red, pink and white. Floral shops stock a larger variety including purple, orange, hot pink and green.

Carnations are long lasting; they will keep for two weeks in a flower arrangement, which is twice as long as roses, tulips and hydrangeas. The flower is a type of dianthus, and generally has large and rounded flowers.

As mentioned earlier, they are inexpensive, and can provide a base flower for floral arrangement – you can fill up a large area of the design without a big monetary investment, and will grow easily in your greenhouse.

Robin Parker, Head of Sales and Marketing at Gabriel Ash, bespoke greenhouse manufacturer, believes that the carnation could make a comeback:

“At Gabriel Ash we are always interested to hear how our customers are getting on with their greenhouses. Increasingly, the feedback we have received has indicated that the carnation is becoming really very popular.”

Overall, don’t let carnations’ bad reputation put you off. These are dynamic and versatile flowers, fragrant and long lasting. Grow them in your greenhouse, or include them in a flower arrangement, they will bring joy to all who come into contact with them.

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