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Not just any old blossom, protea flowers are blooms with attitude. If you can give them full sun and reasonable drainage, proteas will love you.
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Loved as a cut flower and for their fragrant fringed blooms, Carnations (Dianthus caryophyllus) are wonderful perennial plants to include in your garden. They're ideal for cottage gardens, flowers beds or growing in pots.
How to grow Carnations in a garden
Starting from a seedling or potted plant:
- Choose a position with full sun and well-drained soil.
- Enrich the soil with Yates Thrive Natural Blood & Bone with Seaweed.
- When planting into prepared garden bed, ensure seedlings are well spaced – at least 30 to 40cm apart.
- Dig the planting hole twice as wide and to the same depth as the root-ball. Remove the plant from the container. Position in hole and backfill, gently firming down. Form a raised ring around the plant, creating a well so that water will go where it’s needed most. Water in well.
- Water in gently and keep soil moderately moist at all times.
- Mulch with an organic mulch such as bark chips, woodchip or pea straw to a depth of 5 - 8cm, keeping it away from the base of the plant.
- Feed with Yates Thrive Rose & Flower Granular Plant Food. TIP: for an added boost, apply Yates Thrive Roses & Flowers Liquid Plant Food.
Starting from seed:
- Fill starter pots or trays with Yates Black Magic Seed Raising Mix. Sow seeds, lightly cover with mix, firm down and gently water in well. Keep moist at all times and place in a warm and sheltered position until seedlings have grown to 5 cm tall, then plant into the garden.
- Alternatively, sow direct where they are to grow in rows or in scattered clumps around the garden. Cover with a 6mm layer of Yates Black Magic Seed Raising Mix. Lightly firm down and keep moist. Just be sure to enrich the soil with Yates Thrive Natural Blood & Bone with Seaweed prior to sowing.
How to grow Carnations in a pot
Starting from a seedling or potted plant:
- Choose a pot at least 200mm wide with adequate drainage holes.
- Position pot in full sun.
- Fill the pot with a quality potting mix such as Yates Premium Potting Mix.
- Remove the plant from the container. Position in hole and backfill, gently firming down.
- Water in gently and keep mix moderately moist at all times.
- Feed with Yates Thrive Roses & Flowers Liquid Plant Food. TIP: for an added boost, apply Yates Thrive Natural Fish & Seaweed+ Plant Food Concentrate.
Starting from seed:
- Fill starter pots or trays with Yates Black Magic Seed Raising Mix. Sow seeds, lightly cover with mix, firm down and gently water in well. Keep moist at all times and place in a warm and sheltered position until seedlings have grown to 5 cm tall, then plant into the pot.
- Alternatively, sow directly into the pot where they are to grow. Cover with a 6mm layer of Yates Black Magic Seed Raising Mix. Lightly firm down and keep moist.
Growing tips
- When growing from seed, it is best to raise them in boxes or trays filled with seed raising mix such as Yates Black Magic Seed Raising Mix. This is due to their slow and erratic germination. Pay close attention to these trays until the flowers have germinated, ensuring that the soil does not dry out.
- Take care not to over water, Carnations don’t like to have wet feet.
- When picking flowers, always ensure that you cut them off near the base of the plant with a sharp pair of scissors or secateurs.
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Lavender
Lavender are hardy perennial plants with silvery-grey, aromatic foliage & dense spike of flowers in shades of purple, blue, pink and white.
Echinacea
Echinacea is a hardy herbaceous perennial with large fragrant pink daisy-like flowers. Used for therapeutic purposes and as a delicious tea.
Recommended products
Yates Thrive Rose & Flower Granular Plant Food
Specially formulated to grow all types of flowers. With high potassium for large & abundant flowers, added calcium & iron for stronger flowers.
Yates Thrive Roses & Flowers Liquid Plant Food
Provides your flowers & roses with the balanced nutrients they require for healthy growth and flower production.
Yates Thrive Natural Blood & Bone with Seaweed
A certified organic garden input boosted with NZ Seaweed to gently nourish plants, enrich the soil and encourage a strong healthy root system.
Yates Premium Potting Mix
A premium potting mix, ideal for all potted plants and shrubs, including ornamentals, fruit trees, vegies and herbs.
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