Carnations are “Flowers of God,” as their genus Dianthus translates.  Whether or not this is true, they surely are among the most beautiful and versatile flowers in domestication.  They last for a long time as cut flowers, and their neat, compact appearance provides texture, color and beauty to many bouquets.  Carnations also stand alone well, and look very dapper indeed when tucked away in a button hole.

As it happens, the carnation is also the birth flower for the month of January.  I like that, because in January, things tend to be rather dark and gloomy while we wait for spring’s returning embrace, so the brilliant colors of carnations are a great way to brighten the days.

If your one and only was born in January, you might surprise them with bouquets of carnations.  One fun idea would be to give them a single carnation for every day in January leading up to their birthday, or some other romantic notion. Since in December you can usually purchase fireworks in some places to celebrate New Year’s, you could even buy a few carnation fireworks to celebrate their birthday.  If you haven’t seen those fireworks, you should check them out.  They spin in tight circles on the ground, giving off a brilliant array of colors.  They spin so fast that they look like little carnations floating off the ground.

When grown outdoors, carnations are very easy to care for, requiring relatively little attention.  They perk up any perennial flowerbed, adding splashes of color low to the ground and accenting larger plant groupings.  Combined with their winning traits as a cut flower, it is no wonder that carnations are among the most popular flowers.