Flowers can (and often do) make up a fascinating and beautiful aspect of our environment, both outdoors and indoors. Besides the dazzling (if not bewildering) assortment of different kinds of flowers available to spruce up your office or garden, some studies seem to suggest they even improve your health and mental outlook. In the hopes that you might receive some benefit or enjoyment from learning about them, I have done a bit of research online (and plenty of editing) to introduce my to you a favorite flower of mine. So here it is, in all its floral glory -- the Carnation. It's a wild thing.

The Carnation (Dianthus caryophyllus), say "die-AN-thus cari-OFF-ill-us" -- is a flowering plant native to the Near East and has been cultivated for the last 2,000 years. So it might well have been familiar to Jesus and the apostles, though we do not know this for certain. Its original natural color was pinkish, but later, ancient botanical types developed red, white, yellow and green varieties.

Some scholars think the name "carnation" comes from "coronation" or "corone" (which were crowns made of flowers, called "garlands"), as the Greeks wove them into ceremonial crowns. Others think the name stems from the Latin "carnis" (flesh), which names the original color of the flower. Early Christians treated this flower as a symbol of the affection God has for his people -- or that affection the saints are to show one another -- consummately put on display in "The Incarnation," meaning that God's great love for His Church resulted in the Incarnation, The Word of God made flesh in the Person of Jesus of Nazareth, the glorious King of kings.

For the most part, carnations express love, fascination, and distinction. Light red carnations represent admiration, while dark red ones signify deep love and affection. White carnations indicate pure love; striped symbolize a regret that a love cannot be shared. Purple carnations indicate capriciousness, while Pink carnations have the most symbolic and historical significance.

What are called "perpetual-flowering" carnations -- more commonly dubbed "florist" carnations -- are the kind florists most often grow commercially (in greenhouses), and so these bloom year-around. You can also grow them outdoors in milder climates. Some varieties of florist carnations grow to a height of 4 feet. Their fragrant blossoms are often 3 inches wide in an assortment of colors including scarlet, white, pink, crimson, red, orange, purple, yellow, and many-splendored colors.

These carnations are widely used in floral arrangements for weddings, Mother's Day, Valentine's Day, January birthdays, funerals, and a host of other occasions. As with border carnations, their flowers are long-lasting and can be easily preserved for dried flower arrangements. Some spectacular varieties of florist carnations are:

The Pink Calypso -- Double flowers having lovely clear pink petals

The Dianthus Pierrot -- Double flowers with pale rosy lavender blossoms edged with purple

The Dianthus Astor -- Double flowers of deep scarlet and very fragrant

The Dianthus Nina -- Double flowers with smooth-edged petals of crimson

On February 3, 1904, the Ohio General Assembly passed a joint resolution naming the scarlet carnation the official state flower. Fifty-five years later, on April 8, 1959, the Ohio Legislature named Alliance, Ohio the "Carnation City," for truly it is the home of Ohio's State flower. Another honor was bestowed on the pink carnation when it was officially chosen as the emblem of Mother's Day in 1907. Carnations have also long been representative of the month of January, symbolizing "new beginnings," which is just what mothers, weddings and the month of January have in common.

I tend to favor the last two listed, D. Astor and D. Nina, together with white carnations, for which I have given the suggested Bible verses as:

Isaiah 1:18: "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool."

AND 2 Corinthains 5:17: "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."