Different kinds of carnations
Of all the flowers you can find at the florist, carnations are one of the most popular. They are some of the most beautiful blooms and these cheap flowers won’t break the bank! They are also available in several varieties so, even if you send carnations several times in a year, you can still surprise that special someone with something different! By gaining a better understanding of the types of carnations available, you will be better equipped to make the right decisions when ordering these fresh flowers.
Carnations are basically divided into three main groups: large, spray and dwarf. The large variety are those beauties you find standing majestically on a long stem. These stems can reach an impressive height of up to 28 inches and the flowers grow to 2 or 3 inches in diameter! Spray carnations are also referred to as mini carnations and they consist of a number of flowers on a single stem. These flowers are fairly smaller than the large variety and their stems are only slightly shorter at approximately 24 inches in length. The flowers, however, only reach a size of 1 or 2 inches in diameter. Dwarf carnations, as the name suggests, are the smallest of all and their stems only grow to 16 inches in length. Their flowers are just half an inch to three quarters of an inch in diameter but they are still just as beautiful as the larger varieties.
Due to their size, large carnations are usually positioned as focal flowers in medium-sized flower bouquets. These arrangements might also include some smaller, spray carnations to fill up spaces in between but they could also use other mass and filler flowers altogether. Spray carnations are often used in bridal bouquets because they strongly resemble large carnations but are small enough that they suit a hand held design. Flowers that are too large don’t work well as hand held bouquets, generally speaking. Dwarf carnations are often used as boutonnières since they won’t take up too much space on the wearer’s jacket. Imagine pinning a large or spray carnation to a suit. It would look rather ridiculous and out of place. Regardless of the type of bouquet you need, carnations can always make an appearance. They are classy space fillers and they will save you plenty of money at the same time. Even if you want to create an exotic themed bouquet, you can use exotic blooms as your focal flowers and fill the arrangement with various bright coloured carnations and lush, dark green foliage.
Carnations are as popular in the garden as they are in a vase. They have lovely long green stems and leaves that are perfectly topped off with the most amazing and abundant looking flowers. There are so many different colours available these days that you can literally choose anything you fancy! From white and soft pastel shades to bold striking colours and even striped varieties! Carnations are such lovely flowers that they can stand alone in a vase even without any other blooms or greenery and they will still steal the show!
Apart from the wonderful types of carnations that nature has given us, cultivars have also managed to develop the double flower carnation. Regular, single flower types have five petals and the double varieties may have as many as forty! This only adds to the already extensive list of choices!