230 TIIE FLORIST. 



ON THE PHILOSOPHY OF FLORISTS' FLOWERS. 



To the Superintendent of The Florist. 



No. V. 



Form, considered absolutely , possesses a double origin of beauty ; its 

 two branches being, as in so many instances, in apparent contrast 

 with each other — and these two branches are Unity and Variety. 



And these should be always combined, and the rather because 

 the combinations they admit of are unlimited ; nor is it necessary 

 that either branch should be considered more essential than the 

 other, but in proportion as in any flower or variety the value of one 

 is increased, the other may recede and give way without being 

 entirely obliterated; as in flowers of the disc or of the cupped form, 

 unity is the leading property ; in the composite forms, as the Fuchsia 

 or the Jxia, variety takes the lead. 



By Unity is meant the singleness of idea presented to the mind, 

 whereby the impression becomes definite and clear, not being dis- 

 tracted by contending claims, nor divided among many : as a cup 

 formed of petals in contradistinction to six equal and separate petals, 

 without the combining and controlling idea of a cup. 



When applied to an outline, it means the appearance w T hen that 

 outline is one and unbroken, as in the circular form of a Petunia. 



Its contrary is produced — 

 In idea, when a flower consists of a plurality of like and equal parts 

 not uniting to form one idea, and especially if those parts are 

 circular, as in the Veronica. 

 In outline, 1. By the occurrence of an interval ; either by a breach of 

 continuity in the substance, as in the flower of the Arum, 

 causing an effect like the loss of a guard-leaf in a Carnation : 

 or by a separation between the parts which compose it, as in 

 the petals of the Night- scented Stock. To this may be re- 

 ferred the broken edging in a Picotee, and broken lacing in a 

 Pink. 



2. Or by an abrupt change : either of kind ; from a straight 

 line to a curve, or from a curve to a straight line, as in the 

 Pea-blossom : or of direction, as when two straight lines ter- 

 minate in a point, as in the pointed petals of the Narcissus. 

 By variety, when combined with unity (for simply considered, it 

 needs no explanation), is meant the comprising many ideas under 

 one — that the unity is not a dry unit. 



When applied to an outline, it means the appearance when the 

 line is flowing and continuous, yet constantly changing ; such as is a 

 curve, as in the circular blossom of the Convolvulus : or a succession 

 of segments of curves, themselves arranged in a curve in the same 

 plane, as in the flat circle composed of lobes in the Phlox or the 

 Verbena : or in the more complicated outline composed of curves 

 and lines in different planes, as in the Fuchsia. 



When applied to the contents of an outline, it again explains 



