Every carnation that leaves Carnation House begins its journey somewhere in the Netherlands. For us, that somewhere has a name: Mediaverdi — a family-owned nursery with more than 125 years of carnation cultivation behind them, and five generations of knowledge woven into every stem.
We want to tell you about them, because we think where your flowers come from matters.
A name that says everything
The name Mediaverdi comes from the Dutch phrase "Met Dianthus Verdiend" — which translates simply as "Earned with Dianthus". Dianthus is the botanical name for the carnation family. That the nursery chose to name itself after this phrase tells you something important: for the Mediaverdi family, carnations are not just a crop. They are a calling — a craft that has sustained and defined the family across more than a century.
Five generations of growing
Mediaverdi was established over 125 years ago, and the nursery has remained in the same family across five generations. That kind of continuity is rare in any industry. In horticulture, it represents something remarkable: a body of accumulated knowledge — about soil, climate, variety selection, and timing — that cannot be taught in a classroom and cannot be replicated quickly.
Each generation has refined and passed on what they learned. The result is a nursery with exceptional depth of expertise, and a consistency of quality that is immediately apparent in the stems they produce.
What they grow and how they grow it
Mediaverdi operates from a nursery in the Netherlands with over 3,400 square metres of greenhouse space and 10,000 square metres of outdoor growing area. Their production is structured around two distinct seasons: from January to April they grow Viburnum opulus 'Roseum' — the elegant white Snowball — and from August to November they focus entirely on carnation cultivation.
That seasonal focus matters. Rather than growing carnations all year round under artificial conditions, Mediaverdi works with the natural growing cycle. The result is a carnation that reflects genuine craft: consistent stem length, strong heads, long vase life, and colours that are true and vibrant rather than forced.
Why it matters to us
At Carnation House, we chose carnations deliberately. We believe they are one of the most underappreciated flowers in British floristry — and that the right carnation, grown properly and presented with care, is a genuinely exceptional thing.
Knowing that our stems come from a family who have spent five generations mastering their cultivation gives us enormous confidence in what we send out. When a Carnation House bouquet arrives at your door, the quality you experience traces back directly to the Mediaverdi family and their 125 years of earned expertise.
We think that is worth knowing. And worth celebrating.
Browse our full range of carnation bouquets, or learn more about what different carnation colours mean.
