About the Project

This project supports an effort between Colorado State University (CSU) Libraries and the National Agricultural Library (NAL) to deliver full-text and image content on carnations and the floriculture industry to Internet users through the Agriculture Network Information Center (AgNIC). AgNIC is an alliance of nearly 60 land-grant and other partners who offer access to quality information and resources on agriculture. The NAL provides leadership in supporting AgNIC services and technology.

CSU is the premier research site for carnation information. In cooperation with the Colorado Flower Growers Association (CFGA) during the 1950’s to 1980’s, scholars at the CSU Department of Horticulture & Landscape Architecture conducted an array of experiments that contributed to a robust industry of that period, earning Denver the title of “Carnation Capital of the World”.

The CFGA Collection at the CSU Libraries contains valuable information on the development of the Colorado carnation and floral industry, the creation of a trademark of “Colorado Carnations”, research in propagation, cultivation and tinting of carnations, techniques on carnation care and arrangement, activities pertaining to the association, and relationships of the association with other floral organizations. This information is still valid today and has an expanded audience as the floriculture industry has become global. However, access to this information is limited and must be made by request to CSU. In order to better respond to the global audience, the CSU Libraries digitized selected images from the CFGA collection and made these educational resources readily accessible to researchers, industries, and the public through this web site.

Currently the CSU Libraries are full-partners for two AgNIC sites. One site on the topic of Wildlife Damage Management is jointly sponsored with the USDA’s National Wildlife Research Center. The Colorado Rangelands site is coordinated by faculty in the Libraries and in the Department of Forest, Rangeland, and Watershed Stewardship.