Generally, it’s best to plant carnation seeds indoors around 6 to 8 weeks before the last frost. Choose well-drained, slightly alkaline soil, sow the seeds thinly and sprinkle a thin layer of soil on top. Dampen the earth with a spray bottle but don’t overwater the seeds.

Place them somewhere with plenty of indirect sunlight, under a plastic bottle or bag to help with germination. When the risk of very cold weather has passed and the seedlings reach around four inches in height, it’s time to plant them outside.

Watering your carnations once per week, either in the early mornings or evenings, should be enough to help young plants establish themselves in all but the hottest weather. If temperatures rise dramatically and the soil starts to feel very dry you could increase this to two to three times each week.

Avoid overwatering them or getting the plants themselves wet, as this can cause the leaves to turn yellow and rot. Instead, only water the soil around the plants.

Although carnations are generally straightforward to grow, there are plenty of bugs that love them as much as humans do. Common pests include red spider mites, aphids, and thrips.

As carnations don’t enjoy being hosed down, try encouraging natural predators like ladybugs and birds into your garden to keep pests under control.

In early to mid-summer, take cuttings by pulling off small side shoots. Remove the very lowest leaves from each cutting, dip the stems into hormone rooting powder, then firm them into some general potting compost. Water your cuttings moderately and firm them in again if needed.

Leave them somewhere warm and sheltered but away from direct sun, and mist them with water every couple of days depending on the weather. Remove your new carnation plants from the shelter after 4 weeks and allow them to harden off. After a further two weeks, they should be ready to plant out.

Carnations have a long history of being used to relieve stress, inflammation, and certain skin conditions through massage, aromatherapy, and brewing as a traditional tea.

As beautiful as ornate "double" flowers are, they’re not much help to bees looking for nectar. Choose "single" flowering varieties, particularly those with a strong scent, to attract beneficial insects into your outdoor space.

The Dianthus family includes hundreds of different species. They can be divided into three basic types: large, spray, and dwarf.

• The large varieties, like dark pink border carnations and decorative Chinese Pinks, tend to be grown for sale as cut flowers, and have generally only a single flower of around two to three inches in diameter, per stem.
• Spray varieties such as bicolor Sweet Williams have stems with many smaller flowers growing on them.
• Dwarf varieties have flowers of around only half an inch in diameter and shorter stems.