520 



The Weekly Florists' Review. 



AI'RIIi 20, 1889. 



ei-s, large or small, certainly much 

 more so than many of those entries 

 ahead of it. and it is certainly more 

 original. I hope The Review will see 

 its way to have another of these com- 

 petitions, as I feel sure that when the 



"grey matter" of those in the trade 

 sets to work on these lahor saving 

 devices, something more efficient still 

 will be produced than those in the 

 competition just closed. 



A. H. EWING. 



Easter Combinations. 



Some of those "Easter comliina- 

 lions" were vrry beautiful; others 

 were simply awful. There never was 

 a lime in the history of American 

 Horal art when the rules of color har- 

 mony were ignored as they were the 

 past Easter. Many of the "get-ups" 

 seen in the retail stores were daringly 

 sensational, to say the least. It was 

 not only in the contrast of color, but 

 in the arranging. Every kind of rib- 

 bon was used; polkadots in every hue, 

 striped and multi-colored plaids — in 

 fact, all the old stocks of the millin- 

 ers' shops seemed to have been 

 bought up by the florists and used 

 this Easter. Of course, some of it is 

 left, and it is to be hoped they can 

 keep it out of sight till next Easter. 

 Those self-colored gauze ribbons are 

 all right, though, when judiciously 

 used, and wc think they have come to 

 stay, though they will never entirely 

 replace the good old corded silk or 

 grosgrained satin ribbons. 



Window Displays. 



We are right in the middle of spring 

 with an ever increasing variety of 

 cut flowers in the market, and for a 

 few dollars we can buy enough to 

 make a good window display. We 

 believe the florist's window should al- 

 ways to a certain extent display the 

 art that is in the store. In the winter. 

 when flowers are high, you might 

 have some plausible excuse, though 

 quantity of material is not always es- 

 sential to get the best effects. At this 

 time of the year, however, no one can 

 be excused for keeping a poor window, 

 and though "spring flowers," with all 

 their multitude of forms and color, 

 will necessitate a "mixed window," 

 still with a little care you can make it 

 a symphony of color. You need not 

 put every bunch in a separate vase to 

 spread them out; they will look better 



clustered; and once in a while put 

 your mixed lot in vases on the end of 

 the counter and put one color in your 

 window; for instance, a lai-ge vase or 

 basket of yellow; the next day pink, 

 and so on; but be sure they are ar- 

 ranged artistically, not on wires and 

 sticks, but in water. 



If you have any remnants of Easter 

 plants left, or any of the material par- 

 ticularly identified with Easter, give 

 them a retired position; make your 

 stock, no matter what it may be, look 

 fresh and salable; never harbor old 

 stock or injured plants if you can help 

 it, for they spoil your trade and repu- 

 tation. Don't throw your old flowers 

 in the ash-can; if they are any good 

 you will find schools or hospitals in 

 every village and town, and your gen- 

 erosity to them will not injure your 

 trade. If your business or your heart 

 won't allow this, then keep your old 

 flowers in a separate box and out of 

 sight. 



Don't be stingy with your customers; 

 flowers are cheap and you can afford 

 to be liberal; remember, almost any 

 customer will appreciate a spray of 

 this flower or that thrown in with 

 what they buy, and it is not the value 

 of the thing — it is the disposition you 

 show. 



Seasonable Flowers. 



Now, no one can live on the same 

 kind of food all the time, and neither 

 can our business live and prosper on 

 having the same variety of flowers all 

 the time. Keep your eye open for 

 variety, particularly for novelty. If 

 you cannot be beyond date, at least be 

 up to date. Gardenias are coming in 

 freely; they are the latest for bridal 

 bouquets. These beautiful, fragrant 

 flowers are arranged with their own 

 foliage and buds, the handle of the 

 bunch being twisted and tied with 

 broad cream satin ribbon. These flow- 



ers are still the choicest for bouton- 

 niere or corsage bouquet; they are also 

 extra fine for finger-bowl sprays, in 

 which case boutonnieres and corsage 

 liouquets can be dispensed with.' Cut 

 the flowers with plenty of stem and 

 foliage and have the flower face the 

 guest. 



Violets are getting small and poor— 

 that is, of course, the double varieties, 

 which will soon be unsalable. The 

 single varieties, however, will be fine 

 for some time to come, but it is 

 strange that whilst these single ones 

 sell well in Philadelphia and other 

 large cities, in New York there is lit- 

 tle or no demand for them. 



A glass bowl filled with white lilac, 

 with a cluster of La France roses at 

 one side, a few hanging down and 

 forming a semi-circle a little from the 

 l)owl, is a pretty design for the din- 

 ner table. These two flowers make a 

 charming bouquet for vase, hand or 

 corsage. 



Moss ro.ses are in. and they are 

 fine; tr.v them with lilac or valley. 

 Put a cluster of them with a bunch 

 of .lacques. Meteors or Mme. Gabriel 

 Luizets, and what can you get to equal 

 them? Moss roses are about the 

 choicest thing in roses on the market 

 just now; they are not alone grand by 

 themselves, but they enable you to 

 put a finishing touch on any design 

 or arrangement; but care should be 

 used to keep them in a cluster by 

 themselves. 



We have all kinds of flowering 

 shrubs to pick from and nothing is 

 finer for decorations, but remember, 

 you must put them in water, in Japan- 

 ese vases if possible, and have them 

 in good sized bunches to be effective. 

 Rows of pyramid shaped Magnolia 

 Soulangeana in pots and in full bloom 

 make a superb avenue for a wedding 

 procession to pass through, or they 

 are good anywhere; imported stock is 

 easily forced. 



Wallflowers have been on hand for 

 some time; many of the varieties are 

 fine, and a bunch will go well with 

 any box of spring flowers. Induce some 

 grower to furnish you with a bunch of 

 lemon verbena regularly; a spray of 

 it adds a lot to a box of flowers. 



Large, loose bunches of roses in 

 vases filled with water are about the 

 best to recommend your customers to 

 send to steamers. "The flowers can be 

 arranged in the state room and remain 

 fresh for a long time. Sweet-scented 

 flowering plants in pots are another 

 pretty and lasting gift. It is not al- 

 ways wise to use up "any old thing" 

 in a steamer order; some passengers 

 are like injured men — they have long 

 memories. Try to induce your special 

 customers to take some kind of rose 

 or carnation that they can wear on 

 "t'other side," and this can be easily 

 done by furnishing the right stock. 



Antirrhinums are obtainable and 

 many of the colors are beautiful: they 

 are fine for vases; so are Canterbury 

 Bells. IVBRA. 



