The Decorative Use of Flowers 



1619 



arranged so that the shape of each leaf in the spray may be seen. The 

 acanthus and the iv}^ have furnished inspiration for generations of sculp- 

 tors. The begonia and many varieties of autumn foliage rival flowers in 

 brilliancy of color; more often, however, foliage is the background and 

 should be subordinate to flowers. In many cases it is necessar}^ to remove 

 some of the leaves so that they do not compete wiith the flowers in 

 interest. Carnations should preferably be arranged with their own 

 foliage. Often they come from the florist accompanied by asparagus 

 or sword ferns, a combination incongruous in both form and color. Perhaps 

 some day a lover of carnations will develop a variety of them profuse in 

 leafage and will grow it to furnish foliage for the flowering varieties. 

 Nattire is very careful about the foliage she uses with flowers, and uses 

 a different green with white lilacs from the one she uses w4th the colored 

 species. At times she sends the flowers before the leaves, as in the case 

 of the azaleas and many of the fruit blossoms, so that the contrasting 

 character of the erratic stems is not missed. There are ahvays leaves 

 when xaolets and sweet peas and nasturtiums blossom. Fewer blossoms 



Fig. 21. — Violets or hepaticas, ripple grass or dandelions, carefully selected and some- 

 times pruned, are charming 



with a little of the foliage make a much more attractive arrangement 

 than a mass of blossoms and no leaves. Even though buds must be 

 picked with the blossoms in order to secure enough foliage, it should be 

 considered no sacrifice since they, too, contribute to the general effeC/t. 



