Carnation

Where does the meaning of carnations come from?

One of the oldest cultivated flowers, the carnation has been grown for over two thousand years; its botanical name, Dianthus, comes from the Greek for 'flower of the gods'. In floriography it stands for fascination and distinction, with pink carnations long tied to a mother's enduring love. Known in Tudor England as the clove-scented gillyflower, it has shed its filler-flower reputation and returned to favour as a ruffled, antique-toned beauty in its own right.

What does each colour of carnations mean?

The studio buys carnations in antique pink, cream and terracotta, and at the bench each colour is read for its own meaning, a shade of the whole: fascination and distinction.

• Antique pinka mother's enduring love and gratitude
• Creampure, gentle affection
• Terracottawarm, earthy admiration

When are carnations in season?

Carnations are in season all year round, so they are in the studio this month.

In the studio's bunches it is a secondary flower, the supporting cast that gives a bunch its shape and rhythm around the focal stem.

When should you give carnations?

Carnations carry love, admiration and remembrance, and the studio's guide to occasions lists them for sympathy, anniversaries, thank you and just because. Each of those pages shows the other stems that say the same thing, and the bunches made for the day.

• Sympathylisted beside anemone, hydrangea and chrysanthemum bloom
• Anniversarieslisted beside garden rose, peony and dahlia
• Thank youlisted beside garden rose, spray rose and sunflower
• Just becauselisted beside spray rose, dahlia and tulip

Which other flowers mean the same as carnations?

The studio's guide to the meaning of flowers files every stem by what it says. These say the same as carnations, so a bunch can carry the message in another season or another colour:

• Lovegarden rose, peony, tulip and anemone
• Admirationgarden rose, spray rose, ranunculus and sunflower
• Remembranceanemone, oriental lily, scabiosa and limonium

What goes well with carnations in a bouquet?

Pairings follow the florist's rule: one voice leads and the others frame it, so a bunch has a focal flower, a secondary one, texture and green. Carnations are a secondary flower, and in the studio's pairings they sit with these, each with a meaning of its own:

• Dahliaa focal flower, which means dignity and lasting commitment
• Chrysanthemum Blooma focal flower, which means cheerfulness and friendship
• Scabiosaa secondary flower, which means unfortunate love and remembrance
• Astrantiatexture, which means strength, courage and protection
• Eucalyptusfoliage, which means protection and healing
• Garden Rosea focal flower, which means love and deep affection

How do I look after carnations in a vase?

The studio's care card for a hand-tied bunch says: Your bunch is tied so it stands on its own. The string is part of the arrangement, so leave it on. Cut a couple of centimetres off every stem at an angle with sharp scissors. A fresh cut drinks; a dry one seals over. Stand them in a clean vase of fresh, cool water with the flower food we sent. Top it up daily and change it every two or three days. Strip any leaves that would sit below the waterline, because leaves in water go slimy and spoil the water. Keep them out of direct sun and away from radiators, and never next to the fruit bowl: ripening fruit gives off a gas that ages flowers. A cool room overnight does them good. If the house is warm, a north-facing windowsill or a hallway is kinder than the kitchen. Take out anything that goes over before the rest. One tired stem makes the whole bunch look tired, and it hurries the others along. Every flower keeps its own pace: tulips go on growing in the vase, lilies open a bud at a time, and the softest stems are over first. How long they go on depends on the stems and the room they are in.