Dianthus 'Chomley Farran'
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Dianthus 'Chomley Farran' $9.95• common names: carnation
• flowering season: July and August
• height: flower stems grow to 18 inches long that need some support due to the large, heavy flowers; without support the stems will flop
• Light requirements: full sun for the best flowering, although the plant will grow in less light
• Soil requirements: average garden soil that is well drained; adding limestone to the soil when planting is appreciated because it enjoys a sweet soil, although it isn't absolutely necessary
• Water requirments: water young plants regularly; older plants can be drought resistant
• Growth habit: grows as a multi-stemmed clump
• How to propagate: take tip cuttings in early summer, or peg-down a side shoot after slicing halfway through it with a knife
• Leaf type: glaucous-green leaves about two inches long
• Ways to use it: will grow happily in a large terra cotta pot for many years, or equally well in a sunny spot in a garden; shearing back after it finishes flowering is recommended
• Special characteristics: the beautifully colored flowers are richly fragrant
• Other points of interests: although this flower resembles ones pictured in centuries-old paintings, it is a plant found by chance in a modern garden in Ireland; occasionally 'Chomley Farran' will throw a stem that produces all red flowers
Harking back to an old Flemish still-life, the fuchsia-red and violet-gray bi-colored flowers are large and fragrant. It is said to have appeared as a natural sport of a crimson border carnation in an Irish garden only a short few years ago. Each flower is about an inch and a half wide, fully double, on a stem of twelve to eighteen inches. Hardy to USDA Zone 6. Needs full sun and well drained soil. The bluish-gray leaves are large and evergreen.