Miscellaneous. 375 



influence colors exert on their surroundings and on each other, that yel- 

 low makes purple seem more purple, that blue-green makes scarlet the 

 more intense, that orange makes blue bluer, and pale olive green makes 

 pink pinker. 



There is no color arrangement when yellow marigolds, purple pansies, 

 pink phlox and crimson zinnias ate all hobnobbing in the same bouquet. 

 It is best to make up a bouquet of single varieties of flowers, or of varie- 

 ties that are harmonious. By the intervention of space or other color, 

 they will not appear to be a constant warring of colors. O'ne would 

 surely not prefer a cluster of pink and yellow roses when he can as easily 

 have the color all pink or all yellow, or pink and white, or yellow and 

 white. 



Nature's grandest effects invariably have a key — red, yellow, green 

 or blue, and all other color is strictly subordinate or is merely a sugges- 

 tion. Flower colors are too intense to allow of the huge conglomerate 

 packs that are indiscriminately arranged by a careless hand. It does 

 the flowers a gross injustice. Three or four blossoms with suitable 

 ■"green" artistically arranged have a much better effect than the hetero- 

 geneous masses one not infrequently sees. Much or little green in a 

 bouquet is merely a matter of taste ; it should, when possible, be of the 

 same plant as the blossom. When this is not advisable, as in the nicotiana 

 ■or petunia, on account of the appearance of the fohage, or in the pansy 

 ■or sweet pea, when cutting the foliage destroys the plant, one can, by 

 using taste, find some suitable foliage. The old-fashioned Southern 

 Avood is fine to use with some flowers ; so is the Boston fern. Asparagus 

 sprengeria is lovely. Smilax and ivies will be found to be very useful. 



White flowers always combine well with others of the same varieties. 

 If care is taken in shading, all colors of the same flower may be made 

 to look well together, though, as a rule, the simpler the better, as white 

 and yellow chrysanthemimis, white and purple lilacs, white and purple 

 asters. Never place more than two varieties of flowers in one cluster, 

 and let one of them be a modest unobstrusive blossom. 



Arrange flowers according to their habits of growth. This requires 

 a study of nature and her arrangements. Let the decorations be timely 

 as Harrissii and candium lilies with ferns for Easter; chrysanthemums, 

 asters, witch-hazel, etc., for Thanksgiving ; red berries, holly and re 1 

 •carnations for Christmas, or such should at least be the keynote in the 

 arrangement. 



Even after the vases and baskets are all filled, all is not done, for 

 a wrong placing of them will spoil the whole effect. Nature has all 

 out-doors, with a back ground of the living geen, the brown earth and 



