President's flower, Ohio's flower

Did you know that, back in the 19th century, the buckeye was designated as the state "flower" here in Ohio because of its showy, yellow blossoms? Of course, the buckeye blossom was a good choice, but things changed because of an amateur horticulturist from Alliance, Ohio, and his friend who became president. Kusabana Photo Studio/Wiki free use Levi Lamborn, a medical doctor by profession, enjoyed studying and working with plants in his home greenhouse in Alliance. In 1866, he purchased six potted carnation plants from France, and began propagating them. He eventually developed a new red, or scarlet, carnation that he named the Lamborn carnation, for obvious reasons. Fast forward to 1876, when Lamborn decided to run against his friend William McKinley to represent the 18th Congressional District in Ohio. At each of several debates in Alliance, Lamborn presented one of his Lamborn carnations to Mr. McKinley, to wear on his lapel. McKinley won that election, and went on to win several more terms in Congress, as well as two terms as governor of Ohio, continuing to wear a Lamborn Carnation in his lapel whenever in public. McKinley considered the Lamborn carnation his "good luck charm". In 1893, McKinley ran for president, and won, wearing his now-trademark Lamborn Carnation. His friend from back home in Alliance, Levi Lamborn, sent him a big bouquet of Lamborn Red Carnations for his Oval Office desk. On Sept. 14, 1901, President McKinley was in a receiving line in Buffalo, New York, for the Pan-American Expo, when a 12-year-old girl named Myrtle Ledger asked him for "some small token" so she could prove to her friends back home that she had actually met the president of the United States. The president took his Lamborn carnation from his lapel and gave it to young Myrtle. Just a few minutes later, a man came up to President McKinley in the line, with a pistol wrapped in a bandage around his hand, and shot the president twice. Sadly, President McKinley died eight days later. Three years later, in 1904, the Ohio General Assembly voted to name the Lamborn Carnation, or Red Carnation, as the State Flower of Ohio, as a "token of love and reverence to the memory of William McKinley." Every year on President McKinley's birthday, January 29, a bouquet of red carnations is put into the carved hands of his statue in front of the Capitol in Columbus. Alliance, is now known as the Carnation City, and since 1960, the city hosts the Carnation Festival in the summer. This year's Carnation Festival is scheduled for August 4-14. Levi Lamborn started something big when he began propagating carnations back in 1866 in his home greenhouse. Today, Carnations, or Dianthus caryophyllus, come in a variety of bright colors—all colors but blue-- making them popular in home gardens. Carnations come in perennial, biennial, and annual types. Popular types include dwarf flowered carnations, spray carnations, and large flowered carnations. The spray and large flowered carnations are commonly grown in home gardens. Another member of the Dianthus family is the Dainthus barbatus, or sweet william flower, also known as pinks. Carnations like full sun, but will tolerate some shade. They bloom best when grown in well-drained, slightly alkaline (pH 6.7-6.9) soil. Carnations can be grown from seed indoors and transplanted when the weather warms, or planted directly in the soil outdoors in late spring, but the plants usually will not bloom until the second year. In our area here in Ohio, many carnations are perennials (zones 6-9). Carnations can also be grown from cuttings and division. To divide an older carnation plant, dig up the clump of flowers and pull apart the plant segments, then replant these divisions, being sure to water them well. Doing this division every three years or so should keep your carnations healthy and blooming. So, thanks to the friendship of Levi Lamborn and William McKinley back in Alliance, we Ohioans have the red carnation as our State Flower today.