J 92 



The Weekly Florists' Review* 



JULY 27, 1899. 



it in the misshapen and crumpled 

 buds. All buds that are so infested 

 should be cut off and burned. When 

 the weather is cooler I believe per- 

 sistent fumigating with tobacco stems 

 with a handful of red pepper thrown 

 into the fumigator is beneficial. It 

 is very hot. though, these evenings, to 

 close up the house for fumigating and 

 if syringing is faithfully attended to 

 greenfly will not make it necessary 



to do so until later in the season. I 

 have seen very little of this pest this 

 season. 



I need not say keep the ventilators 

 wide open, for if you are working in 

 the houses you will do so for your 

 own comfort, and you will be so glad 

 to get out in the evening you will not 

 likely think of them except in case 

 of a storm. A. O. T. 



What's the latest in flowers to wear 

 on the streets? Well, fashionable 

 flowers cover a wide range in this 

 country, because we have such a 

 mixture of ideas of taste, and yet the 

 whole can readily and harmoniously 

 be constructed into one of those in- 

 comparable degrees of American art. 

 Fashions in flowers are like those in 

 dressmaking and in millinery. In the 

 summer light, cool, yet bright effects 

 are demanded. Many, in fact most of 

 the great artists have a fondness for 

 quietness or modesty in colors. You 

 will never see any of them wearing 

 anything approaching brilliancy. And 

 yet they love to see others do so. The 

 human eye needs variety of subject 

 and color, we love to see a girl wear 

 something bright, if it's only a piece 

 of ribbon, it adds to beauty, which 

 gives us delight. We find pleasure in 

 the contrast of colors. It is true we 

 will often see the most daring, very 

 often most inharmonious combina- 

 tions in the ultra-fashionable milli- 

 ner's window, or worn by the heiress 

 to millions. Many times these be only 

 experiments to attract attention. 



The other day we met a young lady 

 renowned for her wealth and beauty, 

 and she was dressed in white, her face 

 was white and she wore an enormous 

 bunch of white sweet peas at the 

 waist. Well she had the appearance 

 of a caricature of a corpse. Had she 

 worn a few red roses, or even pink 

 sweet peas, the effect would have been 

 entirely different. The fashion in 

 flowers must be governed a good deal 

 by the color of cloth worn, and here 

 is where the florist can do much to 

 establish a reputation: by suggesting 

 the most suitable color in flowers. 



At this time of the year bright gar- 

 den flowers, such as sweet peas, blue 



and yellow cornflowers, ipomeas, nas- 

 turtiums, just a cluster of some small 

 flower of one color is most suitable. 

 Very little or no greens should be 

 used, the flowers arranged loosely anu 

 the cluster should be small and light, 

 and of a color to harmonize or con- 

 trast well with the dress. They are 

 worn at the waist, but if the lady be 

 riding on a wheel or coach get two or 

 three roses or carnations, or some 

 substantial flower that will stand con- 

 tact with the wind, tie them compact- 

 ly; the stems must be short for they 

 are to be worn on the lapel of her 

 coat or on the breast. A gentleman's 

 morning boutonniere is some simple 

 flower without any "fixin'." In the 

 evening, however, the lady should 

 wear red roses or a fine spray of Cat- 

 tleya gigas across the top of her decol- 

 lete gown. No greens should be used, 

 just the flowers in their rich simpli- 

 city. The men should wear lily o* 

 the valley made compactly, small leaf 

 behind, if the lady wears orchids; a 

 red rose or white carnation if other- 

 wise. The custom of wearing white 

 flowers in the evening is dying out 

 and it should do so. The time will 

 surely come again when the present 

 black dismal evening wear will be re- 

 placed by modifications of the pictur- 

 esque Louis XV period. 



We expect to see many good things 

 offered this coming season in the way 

 of new baskets, vases, ribbons, etc. 

 We shall give a careful review of 

 the latest and best before it is time for 

 you to buy. Don't stock up with rub- 

 bish because you can buy it cheap; 

 your store should not have the appear- 

 ance of a second hand furniture shop. 

 When you are cleaning up and re- 

 painting this summer, remove the 

 eyesores. We know of numerous pot- 



ting sheds where designs are often 

 made up; these sheds are mere junk- 

 holes, unfit for a customer to see; how 

 very little it would require to make 

 these places presentable and cozy 

 little offices where people could be 

 inspired with confidence in your abil- 

 ity and good taste. We hear a good 

 deal about judge the girl by the con- 

 dition of her house. Well we might 

 apply the maxim to the florist and his 

 houses, and particularly his office. 



Camellias are destined to become 

 popular again. No one grows them 

 near civilization at present. Try a 

 batch of them. If you grow enough 

 white ones to make a wreath of, well 

 you can offer it at a good big price, 

 besides they will be worn in the hair 

 again, as they were in the long ago. 

 Yes grow a few camellias, they'll sell. 



When you decorate the lunch table, 

 with sweet peas for instance, don't 

 bunch them like a head of cabbage 

 and then cover them with maiden- 

 hair fern. Use a low bowl, spread the 

 flowers loosely and use a few of their 

 own vine tips; if other greens are 

 used keep them beneath the flowers. 

 The rule to adopt is this: when small 

 delicate flowers are used they should 

 be arranged with their owh foliage 

 and in the manner peculiar to their 

 form of growth, though greens must 

 always be subservient — more of a 

 neutral than an emphasizing element. 

 You see, particularly when we use a 

 variety of colors, there would be 

 many jarring contrasts were it not 

 for the neutrality of green, and it is 

 most effective when arranged under- 

 neath and between other colors. (We 

 are personally very fond of green and 

 delight in seeing it above the red and 

 all other colors, but here we are dis- 

 cussing art.) The trouble is that some 

 people cover flowers with adiantum, 

 which withers very quickly and spoils 

 everything. Green is an elegant back- 

 ground for any color, and if you have 

 any space to cover use plenty of it. 



Cannas are coming into bloom, and 

 they are grandly gorgeous and yet 

 delicate enough for any place, and 

 suitable for most work. Cannas should 

 be cut in the morning and if wanted 

 for the night should be put away in 

 the ice-box till then. Now suppose 

 we have a customer who wants con- 

 tinuous changes or leaves all to your 

 judgment. You can give them a sur- 

 prise with Cannas. You will not get 

 them at the wholesalers', because like 

 many other lovely flowers they are 

 too delicate to maul about. Suppose 

 you want a "pink table," well the 

 Marlborough canna is just the shade 

 of Laing or Luizet roses, and it's 

 grand when arranged with soft green. 

 Of course you cannot use the canna 

 foliage; it is too clumsy. Any of the 

 ferns or fine greens will go beautifully 

 with all the wide range of color in 

 cannas, and if we wish contrasts, why 

 just got some fine tips of Primus 

 Pissardii and use them for a back- 

 ground or foundation for yellow can- 

 nas, of which Eldorado is best. Yel- 

 low and plum colors are strong and 



