GILLY’S FLOWERS?
‘Hot July brings cooling showers,
Apricots and Gillyflowers.’
(Sara Coleridge, 1802-52)
A hot July, is that a dream? Still as gardeners, we keep forever optimistic and hope that summer is just around the corner, Besides, I think we’ve had enough cooling showers.
However, having said that, some people can’t get enough gillyflowers. Do you know what gillyflowers are? By the way, when you read ‘gillyflowers’ did you pronounce it with a hard ‘g’ as in a fish’s gill? Well, that’s exactly what I used to do until I discovered that it’s a soft ‘g’ as in the girl’s name, Jill. So really, they’re ‘Jillyflowers.’
The etymology of the word is fascinating too. It starts with Indo-European roots and comes from ‘kar’ (nut) and ‘phullon’ (leaf,) which in Greek became ‘karuophullon’ (clove tree.) In Latin it became ‘gariophilum,’ and in Old French girofle.’ By the time it reached Middle English, it was ‘gilofre,’ until it reached Modern English when it became gillyflower.
So to quote Rolf Harris, ‘can you see what it is yet?’ Well, to put you out of your misery, it’s Dianthus caryophyllus, or the clove pink. Gillyflower is the archaic name for the carnation! In fact, it’s the wild carnation, and came originally from the Mediterranean area about 2000 years ago. So, that’s another thing the Romans did for us. It is indeed the common ancestor to all our fancy garden carnations, pinks, and dianthus, and often grown as a garden flower in its naturally wild state. One of the wonderful things about the clove pink is its scent. It literally does smell of cloves.
There are over three hundred species of the family Caryophyllaceae but carnations fall into three main types; they are the annuals, the border, and the perpetual flowering. Interestingly, carnations flower in three different ways. Firstly, there is the large flowering kind (see photo.) These have only one flower per stem, and are often used as cut flowers and in flower arrangements. The spray carnations carry groups of small flower clusters. Finally, the dwarf carnations boast many small flowers on a single stem.
Commonly the flowers have five petals, although some double cultivars have up to forty, with a serrated edge. This gave birth to their other common epithet, the pink. Usually, the flower colour ranges from light to dark pink and may actually have given the colour pink its name. The verb ‘pink’ dates back at least to the 1300s and means ‘to decorate with a perforated or punched pattern.’ It may also be from the German ‘picken,’ to peck. Thanks to the Collins Dictionary for the definition. Any dressmakers among you will also recognise the verb by way of your ‘pinking’ shears.
In 2002, a poll by the wildflower conservation charity ‘Plantlife’ resulted in the ‘Cheddar Pink’ being chosen as the county flower of Somerset.
Carnations aren’t difficult to grow or propagate. All they require is a fertile, slightly alkaline to neutral soil and a few hours sun every day. The soil must be free draining because they hate to have wet feet. If the leaves start to go yellow, it’s a sure sigh they are too damp. The annual varieties grow readily from seed, the perennials from cuttings (pipings in the trade) or by division.
An extremely popular dianthus is Dianthus barbatus, the Sweet William (see photo,) and is linked with legend. One anecdotal legend mentions how it got its name. Apparently, in the 1600s, Prince William, Duke of Cumberland thrashed the Scots at the battle of Culloden, and because of the cruel way in which he treated the vanquished foe, they called the flower ‘Stinking Billy.’
It’s a load of rubbish of course because one hundred and fifty years before Culloden, the botanist John Gerard, in his 1596 garden catalogue, called Dianthus barbatus ‘Sweete Williams.’ There is also speculation that it could be named after William Shakespeare, Gerard’s contemporary. However, not content with that, there’s the possibility it could be named after Saint William of York, or even William the Conqueror, although there was certainly nothing sweet about him.
The flowers are edible and give a colourful and tasty addition to most salads especially if nasturtium leaves and flowers are included. There could be health-giving properties as well. In 1977, saponins were found in the flowers.
Sweet Williams are magnificent plants for the wildlife garden too. They attract the whole spectrum of winged creatures, including bees, butterflies, and birds.
Finally, on April the 29th, 2011, when Kate Middleton married her William, Duke of Cambridge, she had Sweet William in her bouquet as a mark of respect to him.
Here are six things you didn’t know about carnations: 1) The scientific name for carnation is dianthus and is made up of two Greek words, ‘dios’ representing the god Zeus, and ‘anthos’ meaning flower. Therefore, carnations are literally, ‘The Flowers of God.’ If you’re Greek, that is! 2) The Greeks and Romans used carnations in swags, ceremonial crowns, and garlands. 3) Carnations are one of the longest lasting cut flowers, lasting from seven to twenty-one days depending on the cultivar and when it was cut. 4) Essential carnation oil is both rare and expensive. 5) In the language of flowers the carnation expresses, love, admiration, and disappointment depending on the colour. 6) It is the flower of one’s first wedding anniversary. So buy a bunch for your wife!
You can contact me on [email protected]
You can visit my website at cherrytrees.weebly.com
Until we meet again next month, happy gardening!
‘Hot July brings cooling showers,
Apricots and Gillyflowers.’
(Sara Coleridge, 1802-52)
A hot July, is that a dream? Still as gardeners, we keep forever optimistic and hope that summer is just around the corner, Besides, I think we’ve had enough cooling showers.
However, having said that, some people can’t get enough gillyflowers. Do you know what gillyflowers are? By the way, when you read ‘gillyflowers’ did you pronounce it with a hard ‘g’ as in a fish’s gill? Well, that’s exactly what I used to do until I discovered that it’s a soft ‘g’ as in the girl’s name, Jill. So really, they’re ‘Jillyflowers.’
The etymology of the word is fascinating too. It starts with Indo-European roots and comes from ‘kar’ (nut) and ‘phullon’ (leaf,) which in Greek became ‘karuophullon’ (clove tree.) In Latin it became ‘gariophilum,’ and in Old French girofle.’ By the time it reached Middle English, it was ‘gilofre,’ until it reached Modern English when it became gillyflower.
So to quote Rolf Harris, ‘can you see what it is yet?’ Well, to put you out of your misery, it’s Dianthus caryophyllus, or the clove pink. Gillyflower is the archaic name for the carnation! In fact, it’s the wild carnation, and came originally from the Mediterranean area about 2000 years ago. So, that’s another thing the Romans did for us. It is indeed the common ancestor to all our fancy garden carnations, pinks, and dianthus, and often grown as a garden flower in its naturally wild state. One of the wonderful things about the clove pink is its scent. It literally does smell of cloves.
There are over three hundred species of the family Caryophyllaceae but carnations fall into three main types; they are the annuals, the border, and the perpetual flowering. Interestingly, carnations flower in three different ways. Firstly, there is the large flowering kind (see photo.) These have only one flower per stem, and are often used as cut flowers and in flower arrangements. The spray carnations carry groups of small flower clusters. Finally, the dwarf carnations boast many small flowers on a single stem.
Commonly the flowers have five petals, although some double cultivars have up to forty, with a serrated edge. This gave birth to their other common epithet, the pink. Usually, the flower colour ranges from light to dark pink and may actually have given the colour pink its name. The verb ‘pink’ dates back at least to the 1300s and means ‘to decorate with a perforated or punched pattern.’ It may also be from the German ‘picken,’ to peck. Thanks to the Collins Dictionary for the definition. Any dressmakers among you will also recognise the verb by way of your ‘pinking’ shears.
In 2002, a poll by the wildflower conservation charity ‘Plantlife’ resulted in the ‘Cheddar Pink’ being chosen as the county flower of Somerset.
Carnations aren’t difficult to grow or propagate. All they require is a fertile, slightly alkaline to neutral soil and a few hours sun every day. The soil must be free draining because they hate to have wet feet. If the leaves start to go yellow, it’s a sure sigh they are too damp. The annual varieties grow readily from seed, the perennials from cuttings (pipings in the trade) or by division.
An extremely popular dianthus is Dianthus barbatus, the Sweet William (see photo,) and is linked with legend. One anecdotal legend mentions how it got its name. Apparently, in the 1600s, Prince William, Duke of Cumberland thrashed the Scots at the battle of Culloden, and because of the cruel way in which he treated the vanquished foe, they called the flower ‘Stinking Billy.’
It’s a load of rubbish of course because one hundred and fifty years before Culloden, the botanist John Gerard, in his 1596 garden catalogue, called Dianthus barbatus ‘Sweete Williams.’ There is also speculation that it could be named after William Shakespeare, Gerard’s contemporary. However, not content with that, there’s the possibility it could be named after Saint William of York, or even William the Conqueror, although there was certainly nothing sweet about him.
The flowers are edible and give a colourful and tasty addition to most salads especially if nasturtium leaves and flowers are included. There could be health-giving properties as well. In 1977, saponins were found in the flowers.
Sweet Williams are magnificent plants for the wildlife garden too. They attract the whole spectrum of winged creatures, including bees, butterflies, and birds.
Finally, on April the 29th, 2011, when Kate Middleton married her William, Duke of Cambridge, she had Sweet William in her bouquet as a mark of respect to him.
Here are six things you didn’t know about carnations: 1) The scientific name for carnation is dianthus and is made up of two Greek words, ‘dios’ representing the god Zeus, and ‘anthos’ meaning flower. Therefore, carnations are literally, ‘The Flowers of God.’ If you’re Greek, that is! 2) The Greeks and Romans used carnations in swags, ceremonial crowns, and garlands. 3) Carnations are one of the longest lasting cut flowers, lasting from seven to twenty-one days depending on the cultivar and when it was cut. 4) Essential carnation oil is both rare and expensive. 5) In the language of flowers the carnation expresses, love, admiration, and disappointment depending on the colour. 6) It is the flower of one’s first wedding anniversary. So buy a bunch for your wife!
You can contact me on [email protected]
You can visit my website at cherrytrees.weebly.com
Until we meet again next month, happy gardening!