| Flowers can (and often do) make up a fascinating | | | | florist carnations grow to a height of 4 feet. Their |
| and beautiful aspect of our environment, both | | | | fragrant blossoms are often 3 inches wide in an |
| outdoors and indoors. Besides the dazzling (if not | | | | assortment of colors including scarlet, white, pink, |
| bewildering) assortment of different kinds of flowers | | | | crimson, red, orange, purple, yellow, and |
| available to spruce up your office or garden, some | | | | many-splendored colors.These carnations are widely |
| studies seem to suggest they even improve your | | | | used in floral arrangements for weddings, Mother's |
| health and mental outlook. In the hopes that you | | | | Day, Valentine's Day, January birthdays, funerals, and |
| might receive some benefit or enjoyment from | | | | a host of other occasions. As with border carnations, |
| learning about them, I have done a bit of research | | | | their flowers are long-lasting and can be easily |
| online (and plenty of editing) to introduce my to you | | | | preserved for dried flower arrangements. Some |
| a favorite flower of mine. So here it is, in all its floral | | | | spectacular varieties of florist carnations are:The Pink |
| glory -- the Carnation. It's a wild thing.The Carnation | | | | Calypso -- Double flowers having lovely clear pink |
| (Dianthus caryophyllus), say "die-AN-thus | | | | petalsThe Dianthus Pierrot -- Double flowers with pale |
| cari-OFF-ill-us" -- is a flowering plant native to the | | | | rosy lavender blossoms edged with purpleThe |
| Near East and has been cultivated for the last 2,000 | | | | Dianthus Astor -- Double flowers of deep scarlet and |
| years. So it might well have been familiar to Jesus | | | | very fragrantThe Dianthus Nina -- Double flowers |
| and the apostles, though we do not know this for | | | | with smooth-edged petals of crimsonOn February 3, |
| certain. Its original natural color was pinkish, but later, | | | | 1904, the Ohio General Assembly passed a joint |
| ancient botanical types developed red, white, yellow | | | | resolution naming the scarlet carnation the official |
| and green varieties.Some scholars think the name | | | | state flower. Fifty-five years later, on April 8, 1959, |
| "carnation" comes from "coronation" or "corone" | | | | the Ohio Legislature named Alliance, Ohio the |
| (which were crowns made of flowers, called | | | | "Carnation City," for truly it is the home of Ohio's |
| "garlands"), as the Greeks wove them into ceremonial | | | | State flower. Another honor was bestowed on the |
| crowns. Others think the name stems from the Latin | | | | pink carnation when it was officially chosen as the |
| "carnis" (flesh), which names the original color of the | | | | emblem of Mother's Day in 1907. Carnations have |
| flower. Early Christians treated this flower as a | | | | also long been representative of the month of |
| symbol of the affection God has for his people -- or | | | | January, symbolizing "new beginnings," which is just |
| that affection the saints are to show one another -- | | | | what mothers, weddings and the month of January |
| consummately put on display in "The Incarnation," | | | | have in common.I tend to favor the last two listed, |
| meaning that God's great love for His Church resulted | | | | D. Astor and D. Nina, together with white carnations, |
| in the Incarnation, The Word of God made flesh in | | | | for which I have given the suggested Bible verses |
| the Person of Jesus of Nazareth, the glorious King of | | | | as:Isaiah 1:18: "Come now, and let us reason together, |
| kings.For the most part, carnations express love, | | | | saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they |
| fascination, and distinction. Light red carnations | | | | shall be as white as snow; though they be red like |
| represent admiration, while dark red ones signify | | | | crimson, they shall be as wool."AND 2 Corinthains 5:17: |
| deep love and affection. White carnations indicate | | | | "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new |
| pure love; striped symbolize a regret that a love | | | | creature: old things are passed away; behold, all |
| cannot be shared. Purple carnations indicate | | | | things are become new."Carson Day has written |
| capriciousness, while Pink carnations have the most | | | | some 1.3 gazillion articles and essays on all manner of |
| symbolic and historical significance.What are called | | | | topics. These aim to glorify God and offer people real |
| "perpetual-flowering" carnations -- more commonly | | | | help to live wisely and well. You can visit Carson's |
| dubbed "florist" carnations -- are the kind florists | | | | websites at (The Omniblog, where Carson blogs |
| most often grow commercially (in greenhouses), and | | | | everything) or (Carson's Day Trading Outpost). |
| so these bloom year-around. You can also grow | | | | Thanks for stopping by. |
| them outdoors in milder climates. Some varieties of | | | | |