Makcu 6, 1902. 



The Weekly Florists' Review. 



487 



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THE RETAIL 



FLORIST 



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Recent Decorations. 



No doubt _you liiive all read tlie glow- 

 ing descriptions of the decorations put 

 up for Prince Henry in New York. There 

 is niostlj' alwa^-s a vast amount of exag- 

 geration about these afi'airs and a fair 

 share of it doesn't do any harm, provid- 

 ing growers and retailers don't swallow 

 or get excited over it. The decorations 

 put up in honor of the prince in New 

 York were very fine. The specifications 

 for those done in the Metropolitan Opera 

 House were arranged by a committee of 

 prominent citizens and all the principal 

 florists were invited to bid on the work, 

 which included electric lighting, etc. Of 

 course, every one tried for the work and 

 gave away much time and valuable ideas. 

 Thorley was the successful bidder, and 

 considering the time at his disposal and 

 the fact that the ceiling of the house 

 (which is one of the most difficult in the 

 country, there being only four florists 

 living who have ever been on it) had to- 

 be fixed, made it a very hard job to do. 



There was a drop curtain of electric 

 lights in white and green globes inter- 

 mixed with wild srailax that was very 

 effective. By tlie way. there is a new 

 system of electric lighting that will rev- 

 olutionize the present styles of decora- 

 ting, and every florist should get ac- 

 quainted with it. It was recently in- 

 vented, is simple, very cheap and most 

 effective with floral decorations ; it was 

 one of the leading features in the work 

 at the opera house. The ceiling was 

 partially covered with streamers of 

 greens, and the front of each balcony was 

 covered with wild smilax and dotted at 

 intervals with clusters consisting of two 

 Simon Mardner azaleas and one daisy, 

 roots wrapped in moss and heads facing 

 well to front. What was called the 

 royal box and the entrance from the door 

 thereto were profusely decorated with 

 American Beauty roses. The house when 

 finished looked very beautiful, and 

 George Humphry and Mr. Thorley de- 

 serve much credit for the way the work 

 was done in so short a time. 



The decorations by J. H. Small & 

 Sons at the Waldorf-Astoria on the oc- 

 casion of the American Press banquet to 

 the prince was one of the prettiest things 

 we have seen for a long time. The fa- 

 mous painting by Blasehfield, which cov- 

 ers the ceiling of the great ballroom, 

 was framed in wild smilax, which hung 

 in natural sprays from ten to twenty 

 feet in length ; the boxes and upper bal- 

 cony were trimmed in wild smilax and 

 specimen plants of Cibotium Schiedei 

 were arranged to have their graceful 

 fronds face outward. They made a most 

 beautiful effect : we have seldom seen a 

 better one. (We believe the Henry A. 

 Dreer Company grows these ferns and 

 florists who do much line decorating 

 should use them.) The principal table 

 was decorated with American Beauties, 

 and the others with Bridesmaids, all in 

 tall vases. White roses were worn as 

 ■boutonnieres. We are sorry florists at a 

 distance didn't try to see these decora- 



tions; it would have repaid them. Mr. 

 Albert Small and Arthur Merritt de- 

 serve credit for putting up this, one of 

 llie prettiest sights seen here in years. 



The luncheon given by the bankers at 

 Sherry's was a grand aft'air. William 

 Lee had charge of the decorations, which 

 were most elaborate. The room was 

 turned into a bower of fine kentias and 

 wild smilax and the tables were orna- 

 mented with tall vases of roses. 



Regarding the prices paid for these 

 decorations, now don't swallow the large 

 amounts you may see in the daily press. 

 There was very little money made on 

 some of the work, not near enough on 

 any of it when one considers the vast 

 amount of trouble and anxiety connected 

 with it ; but though there may be little 

 things that some are inclined to criti- 

 cise, we. knowing the difficulties in large 

 decorations, cannot hesitate in giving the 

 florists concerned the highest praise for 

 the fine work done. All the decorations 

 were pretty. 



The men who deal in w'ild smilaS got 

 the best part of the finances. There was 

 scarcely a ripple felt on the cut flower 

 market, yet the . prince never saw 

 such a profusion of fine roses at this 

 time of the year, for such is impossible 

 in any other country, and with such 

 material as wild smilax, etc., it is safe 

 to say that unless the Chicago florists 

 do it. Henry of Prussia will never see the 

 New York decorations equaled. 



Easter. 



Easter is quite a way off yet, but it 

 is not too soon to get out and buy the 

 liest you can see. It is going to be a 

 very good Easter, and don't be afraia to 

 buy of the right kind. Don't forget the 

 lessons paid for at Christmas and past 

 Easters. There is quite a lot of poor 

 stock around — none too much of the 

 good — and poor stock is dear at any 

 price. 



If you grow your own stock or if you 

 depend on growers, get your plants fixed 

 up in time in good selling sizes. Have 

 it done out in the gi"eenhouses ; there 

 is neither time nor room to do it in the 

 average store, and then again plants 

 should be grown that way to give most 

 satisfaction. You know the old way was 

 to get the stock in the store weeks be- 

 fore Easter, knock lots of it out of the 

 pots, arrange them in tubs or baskets, 

 with the re.sult that it either looks sick 

 before Easter or withers up in a hot 

 room the same day it is sent out. The 

 way we do now is to have lilies planted 

 two. three, six or twelve in a tub or 

 pot by the grower, and liave azaleas put 

 two or four, or as many as is necessary, 

 in the short azalea pots or pans weeks 

 before you get them at the store. They 

 last longer with you and give customers 

 more satisfaction. 



In the large cities it is necessary to 

 have most of the stock in sizes to sell at 

 from $2.50 up to $25. Anything to sell 

 at less than $1 is a nuisance to the first- 

 class store, though there are occasions, 



especially in the case of children, where 

 all has to be tolerated. There are cer- 

 tain plants, such as spireas, cinerarias 

 and geraniums, etc., which we have never 

 found profitable unless for filling in or 

 hiding pots at decorations Easter Sun- 

 day. There is no plant too small to use 

 providing it is well grown and of the 

 right kind, but it is a mistake to fill up 

 a store with small plants. The poorest 

 people are willing to go the limit for an 

 Easter present, and therefore what you 

 ofl'er should be so arranged as to entice 

 and be worth those limits. 



Hundreds of thousands of small ferns, 

 palms and foliage plants can be used to 

 advantage and profit in baskets and pots. 

 The one great trouble is that it requires 

 some one other than a $3 a week man 

 or boy to arrange them, and most grow- 

 ers make the semiannual mistake of ig- 

 noring that fact. There are some sec- 

 tions of the florists' business that do not 

 advance with the times. Variety is more 

 important in the store than it is in the 

 greenhouse. Growers who specialize on 

 certdin plants generally come out far 

 ahead of those who make their houses 

 semi-botanical gardens. Hie growers 

 have only the retailers to please. The 

 latter is the representative of a multi- 

 tude of tastes and ideas and it is often 

 necessary to put up some loud or curi- 

 ous arrangements in order to satisfy 

 sortie people. 



This Easter the simple and rich plants 

 or designs offered will be more popular 

 than the overdressed or too elaborate. 

 Tlicre will be a big basket and ribbon 

 trade of course, but it will be in the 

 line of cheap material and right colors. 

 White and foliage green baskets will be 

 the most popular colors, and the plain 

 willow or rush will be preferred, but we 

 will deal with that section later. We 

 would advise you to see after your choice 

 plants. Order quite a lot of the Eng- 

 lish primroses in small pots; you can 

 arrange them in low ba.skets a week be- 

 fore Easter. See that your grower has 

 hyacinths, tulips, valley, daffodils, jon- 

 quils and mixed bulbs in pans and have 

 the pans well filled and finished off with 

 selaginella or small ferns; skimpy filled 

 pots will never sell. White and green, 

 white and blue or white and gilt tubs of 

 small size are cheap and go best witli 

 lilies: see that your Harrisiis and long- 

 iflorums are the very best. Mixed tubs 

 of lilies and other bulbous flowers will 

 sell. If you can loeate some auratums 

 or candidums in good condition you will 

 have something every one will not. 



Roses in pots will be more popular 

 than ever this Easter. Growers might 

 do well to grow some of their roses in 

 pans or large pots another year. It is 

 difficult to put roses in a basket with- 

 out taking them out of pots, and that 

 means trouble to their life. Novelties 

 are usually an expensive luxury to the 

 retailer. If he is wise he can originate 

 many novelties out of very cheap mater- 

 ial. If you have a good trade you should 

 order and have your baskets made to or- 

 der at once and select your ribbons and 

 trimmings before you need them. There 

 will be money lost in fluffy fancies or 

 vile colors, so touch them not: the peo- 

 ple will look more to the plants this 

 year, though it is necessary to fix tKem 

 up in oT'der to show them to advantage. 



TVERA. 



Send advs. now for the special spring 

 number of the Florists' Review to be 

 issued March 20. 



