Carnation (Dianthus) is an ideal perennial that can provide a bright, unusually decorative look to a flower garden or garden plot for a long time. All types and varieties of carnations differ in a variety of colors, fluffiness and inflorescence sizes. More than 300 species of this plant, which grows almost all over the world, are known, of which there are about 100 garden forms. Some are perfect for borders, others will decorate lawns and flower beds. Therefore, every florist will be able to choose from such a variety of vending species and create a piece of landscape art on his plot.
This article provides examples of what types of cloves are, as well as some features of their cultivation.
Did you know? The name of the carnation Dianthus comes from the Greek words Dios - deity and antos - a flower, for which it was called the divine flower, or the flower of Zeus (Zeus - the highest deity in ancient Greek mythology). Carnation has long been one of the most popular flowers in the world. Carnation flowers were considered healing: they were kept in the house and taken with them on the road, as a guard against misfortune. An ancient Greek legend says that once a carnation was a part of a person’s heart, therefore it is a symbol of love, loyalty, constancy, goodness and justice. In France in the 18th century, it was considered the flower of revolution, those sentenced to death took it to the scaffold with them and kept it at the heart until the last minute.
Alpine carnation
Alpine carnation is a variety of carnation, also known as rock garden. This is a perennial plant of the clove family, in the wild it grows on limestone areas of Austria, Slovenia, in the north-east of Italy. Rock garden is a slim, graceful plant, reaching a height of 20 - 50 cm. The flowers are purple-red, with a delicate, barely perceptible scent. 
The name of this species indicates the optimal placement of the flower - alpine slides. If there is no such place, cultivation of alpine carnation is possible in sunny areas, slightly raised, where there is no stagnation of water. This may be a “crater” or rocky scree, located on the south side under a slight slope. The plant prefers a light, loose, sandy soil or light loam. The rock garden responds well to top dressing with mature compost. However, an excess of fertilizer does not tolerate - it quickly gets old and loses its resistance to temperature extremes and cold. The most popular alpine carnation variety is Albus with white flowers.
Did you know? The alpine carnation, the German name Alpen-Nelke, was first described in 1753 by the Swedish taxonomist Carl Linnaeus.
Dianthus
The Armeania carnation is an annual or biennial plant of the carnation family, not exceeding a height of 10–50 cm. The carnation Armeidae is distributed almost everywhere, the homeland of the species is Europe, Southwest Asia and North America. Today, the species is widely used in landscape design when composing floristic compositions. The leaves of the plant are linear, inverse lanceolate form, from 2 to 10 cm in length. Bottom of the plant stems are almost naked, and closer to the inflorescences are densely and shortly pubescent. The inflorescences are single or umbrella - 3-6 pcs., The corolla consists of five toothed red-pink and purple petals with small white specks. Flowering from June to September. Armeania carnation does not have pure varieties, but its hybrids are very popular - "New York Evening", "Caramel" and "Zoryanka". 
Did you know? The clove of Armeria is distinguished by valuable healing properties. In folk medicine, use leaves, flowers, plant stems, as well as essential oil, which is contained in the flowers. Collect raw materials when the carnation blossoms, as at this time the content of useful components and essential oils reaches the greatest concentration. It is recommended to use infusions of leaves and flowers for neurasthenia, colitis, enterocolitis, intestinal diseases.
Needle-shaped carnation
Needle-leaf carnation is a perennial plant. The species grows on rocky slopes, in dry pine forests, on sandy soil, limestone cliffs, on the banks of rivers. It is found in the wild in Eastern Europe, Western Siberia, Central Asia and the Far East. Plant - shrub, has taproot, stems reach a height of 10-30 cm, forming a dense outlet. It has hard, triangular, sharp needle-shaped leaves (hence the name of the species). 
Inflorescences paniculata-ciciate, flowers large, solitary, white, with five petals, very fragrant. Buds are formed by mid-May, flowering begins in the first half of June and ends in late July. The needle-leaved carnation fruit is a multi-seeded two-membered box with a shell. The most popular varieties are "Badia" and "Essence".
Chinese carnation
Chinese Carnation - the most preferred species by gardeners, grown mainly as an annual. The height of plants of this species ranges from 10 to 45 cm. Flowers are large, up to 7 cm in diameter, can be double, semi-double or non-double. The color of the flowers is varied: from white, pink and crimson to red, lilac, richly violet and purple. The flowers are mostly two-color with a contrasting "eye" or rim. Blooms Chinese carnation in July - October. 
The Chinese species has a compact root system, so low-growing varieties and hybrids of this carnation are great for indoor cultivation. Also harmoniously this look looks in borders, along garden paths, etc. Early blooming varieties like sunny areas.
The most common varieties of Chinese type of carnations are, first of all, the Diana Mix F1 variety series, which includes: Diana White, Diana Crimson, Diana Scarlett, Diana Cherry, Diana Red Center White "etc. These varieties have many advantages: simplicity, compact bush, early flowering, beautiful lace flowers with a variety of colors.
Did you know? Chinese carnation was brought to Europe in 1705, after the French missionary Bignon sent plant seeds to Paris from China. A few years later, carnation began to grow almost throughout Europe.
Meadow carnation
The meadow carnation, or field, belongs to the perennial species of the plant of the family of cloves. The name of the species comes from the place of its growth. The plant has numerous stems that reach a height of from 30 to 50 cm. The leaves are linear lanceolate, dry in the lower part before the clove blooms. Flowers can be single or paired, up to 2.5 cm in diameter, reddish-pink color. The meadow carnation blooms at the end of June and blooms for a half to two months. This is one of the few types of carnations that bloom in the first year. 
The field carnation is very light-requiring, it grows in open sunny places. Looks good in Alpine slides, curbs and as a color accent on lawns. The peculiarity of the species is that it can quickly grow after damage and does not allow other plants to grow on "their territory". Because of this, the carnation can form creeping flowering carpets.
Did you know? A carnation meadow has many popular names - field tears, an egorievo spear, a dawn, sparks or girlish tears. The root of the field carnation has the property of being washed, for which it was nicknamed "wild soap." Known meadow cloves and its healing properties, due to the presence in the composition of the substance saponin, it has astringent, diuretic, anti-inflammatory, hemostatic, analgesic and antitoxic action.
Pink Clove
The carnation is pinnate, or Hungarian - another perennial species that grows in the wild on the calcareous, mountainous areas of Europe: from the Alps in Italy to the Slovak Tatras. The species has been cultivated since 1568. The plant reaches a height of about 25-30 cm, the stems form a dense cushion of a large number of shoots. The leaves are oblong, linear and greenish-blue in color, the root system is fibrous. Ordinary or double flowers, up to 3 cm in diameter, with fringed petals, cut along the edge. 
They have a strong aroma and a variety of color options: white, pink, red, purple. Plumed pink blooms from June for a month. This type of carnation has a variety of garden forms and varieties, so its cultivation is possible in open flower beds, greenhouses and in room conditions. They differ in the size of the fluffy buds, the absence or presence of a pronounced aroma, as well as the number of flowering per season. Cirrus carnation is a rather cold-resistant species that blooms in the second year after sowing.
The most popular in gardening varieties of pinnate carnations: "Scottish Terry" - remontant form (blooms twice a season), has a different color of flowers; "Alba" - with white flowers; "Desdemona" - dark pink flowers.
Sandy carnation
Sandy carnation is a European type of carnation, perennial, distributed practically in Central Europe, the European part of Russia and on the Caucasian slopes. In the culture of this type of carnation since 1732. Growing up, this species forms turfs, tightly pressed to the ground and densely covered with foliage. 
The stems of the plant are straight, from 10 to 30 cm tall, branched and bare from above, greenish-gray. Leaves linear or linear-lanceolate, sickle-curved, rough. Flowers solitary, very fragrant, white, sometimes pinkish. Their plate is fringed, divided into filiform lobes, with hairs at the top. Sandy carnation blooms in June - July. Can be grown on dry soils, does not tolerate moisture. The most popular variety, characterized by a strong, bright aroma - "Nostalgie". It grows no higher than 30 cm, the flowers are white and yellow, with long, fringed petals.
Important! In the wild, the number of sandy carnations is constantly decreasing. The reasons for this are the recreational impact and the cutting down of pine forests, the overgrowing of glades by shrubs and the digging of carnations. Therefore, for the purpose of reproduction, seeds should be purchased in specialized stores in order not to cause damage to the population.
Carnation lush
Carnation lush - European-North-Asian species, perennial with a creeping root. The species has been cultivated since 1593. The plant has single stems up to 60 cm in height and linear lanceolate sharp leaves. Large, very fragrant flowers are located on long stalks. Color varies from white to pink and purple; petals fringed, with filiform lobes. Ten stamens. Pillars two. Lush clove blooms in June-July, recurrent blooming is often observed in October. The plant can grow well in the penumbra, blooms in the second year of sowing. 
Differs a kind of fragility: winters badly, with each flowering bush weakens, flowering decreases. This disadvantage can be hidden by self-seeding during mass cultivation. Then the plants replace each other and bloom long and abundantly. Lush carnation flowers are equally good in borders, on stony hills and in cut. The varieties are combined in the “Magnificent” variety series. It is a mixture of varieties with pink and purple flowers with heavily dissected petals, sometimes with colored patches.
Carnation travyanka
Carnation travyanka has many varieties, which differ in the description of flowers and color variation. It grows in meadows, on forest edges and glades, in clearings, roadside meadows, in river valleys. This is a perennial plant that has a thin rhizome and ascending stems, up to 40 cm high. The leaves are pubescent with short hairs, sharp, rough. Flower petals are pink or red, with purple spots and long hairs, sharp-toothed along the edge. 
Carnation blooms grass from June to September. The look differs in high frost resistance, especially young plants. Effectively looks in pair with a bell, a thyme or a fescue or separately on dry soils. The most common varieties of carnation are grass: "Brilliance" - very low plants up to 15 cm, with raspberry flowers; "Flashing Light" - dark red flowers.
In 2004, the German breeders presented a new variety "Confetti", which is characterized by long flowering and has 4 variants of flower color. Other popular varieties: "Kant-libra" - low plants with pink, red and white flowers; "Maiden Pink" - flowers of various shades of red, etc.
Turkish carnation
The carnation is Turkish, or bearded, as well as grass, is a very common flower plant, varieties of which differ in their description and color variations. The plant’s homeland is Southern Europe, where it grows in groves, meadows and rocky slopes. This garden type of carnation has been cultivated since ancient times as a biennial plant. The stems of the plants reach a height of 20 to 60 cm. The flowers are dense, flattened, monochromatic, of various colors. The second name "bearded" has received in the people for the bracts ciliated leaves that are present in each flower. 
The most common monochrome varieties of Turkish carnation are the Red Monarch, Newport Pink, Vice-Reisen, Diadem, Kupferrot, Mirage, etc. Some varieties may bloom again. Turkish carnation is unpretentious in cultivation, it can grow in the shade. It blooms in the second year after planting, in the third year most plants die. The Turkish carnation in the Alpine hills looks advantageous - it spreads out on the surface, forming motley patterned carpets.
Gray Carnation
Carnation is gray-blue, or gray-blue - in nature it is found on rocks, rocky slopes and pine forests of Central Europe. Cultivated since 1830. It is a cushion-shaped perennial, whose stems reach a height of 25 cm. The leaves of the plant are bluish-blue, narrow, linear in shape. The flowers are simple, very fragrant, can be white, pink or carmine. Blooming blue pink from the end of June, for 35-40 days. The plant is best grown in sunny places with dry loose soil, moderately nutritious. Does not tolerate wet, heavy soils. Well propagated by self-sowing, can serve as a ground-cover plant. Effectively looks in landings together with bells, yaskolka, gypsophila, in stony gardens or as a border plant. Popular varieties of pink-and-pink carnations: Pink Blanca, Microchip, Confetti, Flora Pleno. 
Carnation Shabo
Chabot carnation is a plant that reaches a height of about 60 cm. The species was derived by the French pharmacist Chabot at the beginning of the 19th century, hence the name. It has straight stems and knotty gray-green leaves. Flowers of carnations Shabo terry, with a diameter up to 6 cm, differ in fragrant aroma and various variation of colors. The plant is light and heat-loving, can tolerate light frosts. Looks good plant in flower beds, rabatkah, mixborders, on balconies and loggias. used for gardening balconies and loggias. Most often, chabo carnation is cultivated as an annual, in southern areas two-year growth is possible. 
Shabo is one of the long-blooming carnations, it differs in storage duration in cutting. For two centuries of cultivating the Shabo species, breeders have developed many varieties with flowers of various colors. The most beautiful of them: "Jeanne Dionis" - white; "La France" - light pink; "Pink Queen" - hot pink; "Aurora" - peach color; "Marie Shabo" - yellow; "Etinselyan" - bright red; "Fire King" - orange-red; "Legnien d'Oner" - dark cherry color; "Mikado" - purple and "Luminette Mix" - a variety of colors.
