Aruii, : 



The Weekly Florists' Review. 



543 



PREPARING FOR EASTER. 



Ribbon^, Bows and Baskets. 



"There's nothing new under the 

 sun," isn't always correct, but it very 

 nearly happens to be so at present in 

 regards to new effects in ribbons, bows 

 or basinets. In these as in most other 

 things people look for or insist on hav- 

 ing something different each season 

 and in consequence designers struggle 

 hard to supply this demand; the re- 

 sult is that we see many curious things 

 offered as "new," which we would not 

 deign to notice at all only for the 

 fact that they are labeled as "new." 

 A ribbon may have an extra stripe, 

 gloss a different web, or some other 

 item in manufacture which technical- 

 ly constitutes its claim to novelty and 

 which will suffice to appease the de- 

 mand of the milliner, but it is the col- 

 or of the material that appeals mo'^t 

 to the florist. 



In this regard we are always ad- 

 vancing. Colorists are accomplishing 

 wonders in the way of producing cor- 

 rect floral colors, and where a few 

 years ago it was utterly impossible to 

 match many flowers with ribbon, 

 'tisn't so now if you care to take the 

 trouble to find out where to purchase. 

 Perhaps the glib-tongued salesman and 

 the easily influenced florist are respon- 

 sible for many of the funny things we 

 see. Many a florist store today has its 



little ribbon case filled with impossible 

 colors or grotesque designs, and we 

 are .sorry to have to say that anything 

 "goes" with some, it doesn't matter 

 so long as it's the "latest." Last year 

 we had all kinds of print and figure 

 effects, and some awful things were 

 seen on baskets and plants; we may 

 yet see some of these outrages com- 

 mitted but we are glad to state they 

 will not be the popular fancy this year. 

 Either pastel or solid colors will pre- 

 vail. Some very beautiful soft tones 

 are obtainable. 



Pink, about the same shade as Mrs. 

 .Tas. Dean carnation, will be the most 

 popular color this spring. Celestial 

 blue will also be in demand. Ribbons 

 to the florist are an expensive luxury. 

 Only the few, comparatively speaking, 

 can afford to carry an extensive stock, 

 but all can and should be careful of 

 the colors, which is of more import- 

 ance than quality. Velvets are too ex- 

 pensive, satins are not correct, fig- 

 ured patterns are inappropriate. The 

 best ribbons for the florist today are 

 taffeta silks; that is, of course, for 

 general use. For extra fine work, vel- 

 vets, the new Pann, or corded, silks 

 should be used. There are times when 

 the common colors can be picked up 

 cheaply at special sales, but a visit 

 to the wholesale dealer.-j or manufact- 

 turers once in a while will repay you. 



To be up-to-date you must appear to 

 have plenty of everything, but you 



need not use things foolishly. In the 

 near future when we will have more 

 perfection in flower and plant there 

 will be less use for ribbon.s. In the 

 past, as it is today, florists were and 

 are compelled to use embelli^hraenl.s 

 with .some flowers in order to make 

 them appear of more value. Beauty 

 unadorned is always the most exquis- 

 ite, and as the world advances this 

 will be more generally recognized. The 

 use of pot baskets, crepe papers and 

 ribbons would be greatly lessened it 

 we had better or cleaner plant pots, 

 but inasmuch an retailers and gi'ow- 

 ers will ;>lways haggle over prices this 

 desirable end will ever appear in the 

 distance. 



We have always been opposed to the 

 indiscriminate or over-lavish use of 

 ribbons, and will venture to say that 

 there will be many a plant sent out 

 this Easter which would look better 

 without the "dress" or "artistic bow" 

 or "sash" you will insist on inflicting 

 it with. It isn't always necessary to 

 do the things we do sometimes, and ex- 

 tremes are seldom satisfactory. A good 

 plant in a clean pot. or a pot basket, if 

 you wish to enrich it, rarely needs any 

 further fixings. 



You can have no excuse for any mes- 

 alliance in colors: if you cannot exact- 

 ly match the flower, be careful that you 

 use one that will not destroy harmony.. 

 A good contrast is the next best thing 

 to exact reproduction, but it is dan- 

 gerous to do this with flowers; there 

 are occasions when dominant colors, 

 such as white or lavenders, are some- 

 what sombre and appear all the better 

 for a touch of other colors; for in- 

 stance, blue with the former and yel- 

 low with the latter. Red and greens, 

 light and dark ambers, light amber 

 and heliotrope, light amber and light 

 coral, light amber and apple green, 

 dark amber and violet, dark amber and 

 moss green, apple green and moss green, 

 apple green and light coral, apple 

 green and apricot, light terra cotta and 

 dark terra cotta. light and dark blush 

 pink, light and dark coral, light coral 

 and light blue, moss green and gold, 

 cream and gold, pink and green, ami 

 so on. 



The combinations in colors are large- 

 ly a matter of individual taste. You 

 will not have need for the exercise of 

 ni\ich mixtures unless it be with the 

 trimming of bulb stock, and after all 

 you will not find any more pleasing 

 than decided tones which either match 

 foliage or flower. 



As regards bows, there's nothing spe- 

 cially new; the rosette and single loop 

 styles will be most popular; small 

 sprigs of flowers are used among ihe 

 loops of the former and the latter is 

 mostly to appear as a "tie bow." Very 

 broad ribbons will be fashionable be- 

 cause they look richer and give a more 

 prosperous effect. You Know even the 

 poorest try to hide poverty, and it's 

 better, anyhow, to have your presents 

 look as rich as possible. When you 

 cut ribbons, don't take a triangular 

 bite out of the ends; that's bad taste; 



