liUttou-7iole J^lowci's. 201 



Button-hole Flowers. 



FERNS used for button-hole, or indeed for any kind of bouquets, should be cut off 

 plants that have been grown in a cool house, or that have at all events been 

 well-hardened off, or otherwise, though they may look fresh and nice when cut, they 

 shrivel up in a few hours, when of course their beauty is gone. In the case of 

 Maiden-hair it is a good plan to cut off the very young points, as, with the exception 

 of these, the other parts of the frond keep well. Another point that should be 

 remembered is always to keep the stems of the button-holes as thin as possible, in 

 order that they may easily pass through the coat, and nicely fit the little glass water- 

 tubes which are now so much worn, and which keep both Ferns and flowers fresh so 

 much longer than they otherwise would be. After the bouquets are made, many 

 place their stems in water, to keep them fresh ; this I do not think a good plan,, as, 

 though the stems may be in the water, the Ferns are exposed to the air, and, thus 

 circumstanced, they will not keep nearly so long fresh as if they were shut up in 

 some air-tight box or drawer. 



Dealers in bouquets have numbers of drawers lined with zinc in which they keep 

 their flowers, mounted or otherwise, but though those who have shops must have such 

 appliances as these, it is not to be expected that amateurs will be furnished with 

 them. If I want to keep a button-hole flower from one day to another I place it in 

 a little box made either of wood or cardboard, over the bottom of which is laid some 

 wet moss of the kind one gets in bundles at the flower shops or finds in the woods or 

 on banks. I place the back of the bouquet next the moss and cover the stem over 

 with more wet moss. I then sprinkle the flowers and Ferns well with water and shut 

 down the lid, which is as air-tight as possible, and, treated thus, flowers and Ferns 

 will keep fresh for days. If I want to send a bouquet by post, I put moss enough in 

 the box to raise the bouquet when laid in it nearly level with the lid when shut down, 

 and across the face of the flowers I lay a piece of cotton wool, which keeps them 

 from rubbing against the lid. 



"' Cont Flotver. 



These I like associated with fronds of Maiden-hair Ferns, that is if the Fern is 

 an indoor one ; as what, for ipstancc, looks so elegant with a Gardenia as a bit of 

 Fern, the bright green spray of which sets ofi" white blossoms of all kin Is to much 

 advantage. The coat flower to which was awarded the second prize at Birmingham 

 last year consisted of a small spray of red Combretum, backed with a frond of 

 Maiden-hair. There are numbers of flowers suitable for such an arrangement as this, 

 but care should be taken that such as are selected are good specimens of their 

 respective kinds, and be a little shrouded in the Fern, as many coat flowers I have 

 seen were quite spoiled by having only one spray of Fern, against which was laid the 

 flower ; the latter, under such circumstances, looking hard and stiff". Now, had there 

 been another small piece to fill up the space at the base, and a tiny bit drawn across 

 the flower, the effect would have been much enhanced. This should always be done 

 if the flower used is of a bright or glaring color. I always like to see a Rose with 

 a leaf belonging to itself behind it, and a few sprays of the young brown-colored 

 growth around it. Such an arrangement may seem easy to manage, but this is not 

 the case, as the Rose leaf must be wired, and that is one of the most difficult of all 



