Life in a modern city, where people are surrounded by buildings made of glass and concrete, is sometimes devoid of bright colors. Parks, gardens, squares with flower beds are “islands” necessary for the townspeople, where in the light shade you can relax from the monotonous grayness, get a session of color and aromatherapy.
Carnations have been used as ornamental plants for a very long time.
Garden carnation (Dianthus caryophyllus L.) - a widespread cut culture, a traditional symbol of the Victory Day on May 9, and in the flower beds you can often find a Turkish carnation, or bearded (Dianthusbarbatus L.), and carnation herb (Dianthusdeltoides L.). A wide variety of varieties, unpretentiousness and ease of renewal determine the popularity of carnations [1]. However, in the literature they are usually referred to as secondary ornamental plants; in modern floriculture, many interesting species of this genus are undeservedly forgotten.
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78 species of carnations grow on the territory of the former USSR [5]. It is possible to expand the assortment for flower gardens, to make it more diverse by including species of natural flora in it. Carnations have great potential for use in landscaping: many species are unpretentious, easily tolerate the arid conditions of the steppe and forest-steppe zones. Fertile, slightly alkaline soils, a high level of insolation, and a dry climate are favorable for growing many types of carnations, which are attractive not only during flowering, but also during the entire growing season due to their decorative leaves. Carnations have a pleasant aroma, which intensifies in the evening, they are excellent honey plants. In addition, many plants of this genus are used in folk medicine and cosmetology. Their roots can be used to make soaps and shampoos, green mass is used for cuts and abrasions as a hemostatic and wound healing agent [4].
Of particular value for gardeners are perennial species that do not require annual renewal and reduce the cost of caring for a flower garden [2]. Carnations tolerate picking and transplanting well. Adult plants are propagated vegetatively: by dividing the bush (only a few species are Turkish carnations and grass), cuttings or layering, and some, for example, carnation of Andrzhejovsky (Dianthuscapitatus Balb. ex DC. subsp. andrzejowskianus Zapal.) bred mainly with seeds. Vegetative reproduction is especially important for varietal carnations, as it allows you to get offspring identical to the mother. Carnations are not only good outdoors, they can also be used as an excellent pot culture.
Currently, only 4 varieties of bearded carnation are registered in the State Register of Breeding Achievements approved for use on the territory of the Russian Federation, 2 varieties of Chinese carnation (Dianthuschinensis L.) and 1 - pinnate carnations (Dianthusplumarius L.). They were bred by the Kiparis farm, the State Scientific Research Institute of Selection and Seed Growing of Vegetable Crops of the Russian Academy of Agricultural Sciences and the Voronezh Vegetable Experimental Station of the All-Russian Scientific Research Institute of Agricultural Sciences [3].
Since 2011, a collection of perennial carnation species has been created on the basis of the BelSU National Research University by seed reproduction, some results of cultivation in the forest-steppe conditions of Belogorye have been summed up.
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Flowering time
Species carnations differ in terms and duration of flowering. All studied species are perennials, but specimens obtained through seedlings bloom in the first year. By the timing of flowering, they are divided into 3 main groups:
- early: blooming in the first half of May - herbal and pinnate carnations;
- average: June-August - alpine carnation (Dianthus alpinus), Andrzhejovsky's carnation, Fisher's carnation (Dianthusfischeri Spreng);
- late: in August-September - sand carnation (Dianthus arenarius L.),bulging carnation (Dianthussquarrosus M. Bieb.).
The intermediate ones are also highlighted: mid-early, blooming in the first half of summer (Turkish carnation) and mid-late, blooming mainly in the second half of summer - early September (Chinese carnation, carnation Borbash (Dianthus borbasii Vand.),carnation carnation (Dianthuscarthusianorum L.),carnation multicolored (Dianthus versicolor Fischer ex Link.).
Carnations are characterized by long flowering (6–8 weeks), starting from the second year of life, it is more amicable and abundant.Due to its different periods, it is possible to form continuous flowering beds, in which the plants bloom from May to September.
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Flower color and plant appearance
Despite the fact that the diameter of the flowers does not exceed 3.5–3.8 cm (the largest corollas are in feathery and Chinese carnations), averaging 2.6 cm, the bloom of carnations cannot be called inconspicuous. Indeed, they develop numerous shoots with flowers collected in volumetric dichazial inflorescences (inflorescences in which the main axis ends in a single flower, and the lateral axes are highly developed and equivalent). The color varies from white, numerous shades of pink to red; in some species, the corollas are two-colored (grass, feathery, Turkish). In this case, the pattern created by mixing shades can be in the form of a border located along the edge of the rim or closer to the base of the petals. The Turkish carnation has very impressive dense hemispherical inflorescences, the multi-colored carnation has a yellowish tint in the center of the flower, and the petals are purple or reddish-purple. In the color of the Chinese carnation, there is a bluish tint, due to which the flowers acquire a bluish-purple color. Carnations of Andrzhejovsky, Fischer, Borbash have similar loose inflorescences of pink, purple and purple-red flowers. White corollas are characteristic of bulging and sandy carnations, dissected petals give them a delicacy. Plants of the genus Dianthus form a dense cushion-shaped curtain of vegetative and generative shoots towering over it. The height of the latter is an important sign by which the location of plants in various flower beds is determined. On this basis, the types of carnations are subdivided into low-growing ones (the average height of peduncles is up to 20 cm); medium-sized (20–40 cm), including low-medium (20–25 cm) and medium-tall (35–40 cm) carnations; as well as tall (40–55 cm) and very tall (over 55 cm). Low-growing species are good as ground cover plants, suitable for rockeries, borders. Medium-sized ones can be recommended for decorating flower beds, ridges, rockeries, mixborders. Tall and very tall will look good in the background of mixborders and flower beds. All carnations have a strong, pleasant aroma and bloom for a long time. Thus, the above species can be recommended for widespread use in ornamental gardening. The use of these perennials in landscaping will help reduce maintenance costs, since they are quite unpretentious and they do not need to be planted annually. Easy reproduction, long flowering at different times, high decorative effect make it promising to use numerous types of carnations in gardening. Literature 1. Bulatov V.A. Potential productivity of remontant carnation // Floriculture, 1982. - No. 5. - P. 14-15. 2. Vasfilova E.S., Sushentsov O.E., Zainullina K.S. and others. Some regularities of the introduction of medicinal plants, identified on the basis of the analysis of their levels of vitality // Bulletin of the Perm University. Series: Biology. - 2013. - Issue. 2. - P.4-10. 3. Bearded carnation. Chinese carnation. Pinnate carnation // State Register of Breeding Achievements Permitted for Use [Electronic resource]. - 2014. - URL: //old.gossort.com/xrcts/xrct_04.html#898. 4. Danikov N.I. Healing poisonous plants. - M .: RIPOL classic, 2005. - S. 319–323. 5. Shishkin B.K. Genus Dianthus L. - Carnation // Flora of the USSR. - M., L., 1936.T. VI. - S. 803-861. Photo by authors The magazine "Floriculture" No. 3-2015
