Carnations

This year I have four different colors of carnations growing in my garden. All are of the same variety, Fenbows Nutmeg Clove Carnations, and I have baby pink, hot pink, white and red. My plants top soil is covered in twice-cracked hazelnut mulch. (right) The red ones are new and the other three came back from last year. Last years even survived a week of snow over the winter.

Growing Tips: Carnations like full sun with well drained soil. Carnations don't require a lot of water so only water as needed. Once in bloom, carnations can be quite floppy and heavy, to keep the flowers from flopping over, I use the bottom half of a tomato cage (I use wire clippers so I only have one rung) around my carnations to keep them upright. I also recommend avoiding windy areas when planting carnations. Once flower heads off when they die to encourage new blooms. Carnations also make a great clipping flower.

Perennial Tip: Carnations are perennials and will come back the next year. At the end of the season when no more flowers are blooming on the plant, trim back all the flower stems to the mid of the "grassy" part of the plant and cover top soil with mulch. The following year, you will have twice as many blooms. The next year, once you start to see the new flower stems growing up from the "grassy" part, you will have blooms in one month or so that will last almost all summer.