January's Flower is the Carnation

Of all the flowers one could possibly get in a bouquet, carnations are probably my least favorite.

That's probably not a very nice way to begin, but it's the truth. Carnations do not make good filler flowers in a flower bouquet. They do, however, look very nice as a single stem in a fancy bud vase.

"Carnation" is a common name for the flower genus dianthus. There's about 300 different varieties, and according to Wikipedia they're mostly native to Europe and Asia. Some of the species extend to north Africa and one even grows in arctic North America. Carnations are perennial subshrubs with straight woody stems and big, showy blooms, and are fairly easy to grow in either beds or containers. They're relatively free from disease and pests, and can be grown from seed—you can start them indoors and transplant them outside, or sew them directly into your garden beds. They like full sun and  rich, well-drained soil. But, hey, who doesn't?

You're most likely to find carnations in boutonnieres and corsages, and in a wide range of floral arrangements. One of their greatest assets is that their blooms last a long time.

If you're driven by color, then try to remember that red blooms symbolize worldly desires and approval; purple represents unpredictable and opposing; pink symbolizes Mother's Day (though I get my mom her favorite ... irises); and white symbolizes true and pure love.

I wonder what a preference for wildflowers represents?