Jnly 8, 1869. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEE. 



19 



WEEKLY CALENDAR. 



DINNER- TABLE DECORATIONS. 



^MONGST the many subjects which present 

 themselves to the gardener in the fulfilment 

 of his duties, the arrangement of the dessert 

 and the decoration of the dinner-table, so far 

 as they are in connection with his depart- 

 ment, occupy an important position. During 

 the last few years this subject has increased in 

 importance, owing to diners a hi Riis.ir having 

 become so fashionable. Generally where tliis 

 fashion prevails pot plants predominate as 

 ornaments for the dinner-table. These, if properly grown, 

 answer very well, but I do not think them so suitable as 

 cut flowers skilfully arranged : but if these are scarce, or 

 their arrangement is not thorouglily understood, then it 

 would be better to employ plants. The characteristics of 

 plants for tliis purpose should be elegance and lightness, 

 such as we find in ornamental-foliaged plants, as Dracajna 

 terminalis or Dactylis glomerata variegata ; and, among 

 flowering plants, in Fuchsias or small-leaved Begonias. 

 A heavy dwarf plant rarely looks well on the dinner- 

 table — i allude to such plants as the large-foliaged Bego- 

 nias, Gymnostachyum Pearoei, or Fittouia argyroneura ; 

 these plants and many others like them, although un- 

 doubtedly presenting a novel and beautiful appearance, 

 yet are, I think, much better adapted for the decoration 

 of the conservatory or vestibule. Of course there are 

 exceptions to this rule as to all others. For instance, a 

 Gloxinia amongst stove plants, and a large-flowered or 

 Fancy Pelargonium amongst greenhouse plants, though 

 dwarf, are yet rendered so bright and cheerful by their 

 abundant blossoms that they may well form exceptions ; 

 and, again, if during the winter months one or two plants 

 of that lovely stove climber Thunbergia Harrisii be in- 

 troduced, they are quite certain to be admired. To have 

 neat little half-specimens of this plant in bloom in or 

 8-inch pots during winter, cuttings should he taken early 

 in May, and grown throughout the summer and autumn 

 in rich sandy loam containing a slight admixture of char- 

 coal. 



Whether plants are constantly required for the dinner- 

 table or only for a definite period, as much variety should be 

 secured as possible, and a considerable space of time should 

 intervene between the first and second appearance on the 

 table of the same plants ; then, agam, fine-foliaged plants 

 should alternate with plants in bloom. I have Icnown 

 great annoyance given by a constant succession being kept 

 up, night after night, of ornamental-foliaged plants, such as 

 Begonias, _ Caladiums, Dracaenas, and Crotons ; always a 

 fresh variety, but foliage, ever foliage. Now this was 

 certainly a mistake, unless there had been an expressed 

 wish ; for, however rich and varied may be the colour, 

 and however singular the variegation of the foliage, yet 

 leaves must ever give place to those lovely tints and that 

 delicate freshness which are the peculiar properties of 

 blossom. 



Crotons and all other fine-foliaged plants possessing yel- 

 low leaf-markings should be rarely introduced, as they 



No. ISi.-Voi,, XVn., New Series. 



never " light up " well, however beautiful they may be when 

 seen by daylight ; the yellow variegation, which is their 

 chief beauty, loses so much of its richness by lamplight as 

 to cause the entire plant to appear very insipid. Pink, on 

 the contrary, acquires a deeper hue and richer charm from 

 artificial light. I know no plant so charming, when seen 

 in thi.s way, as a deep pink Primula sinensis ; its cheerful 

 blossoms coming to us during the dullest season of the 

 year ever receive our warmest welcome, but it is at night 

 that they appear to partake of the greater sociabOity of 

 humanity which is inspired bj- the exclusion of the exter- 

 nal cold, by the drawn curtains, and the glo%ving fire ; then 

 they ofter themselves to our gaze with a warmth and rich- 

 ness of colour which render them most attractive. 



Plants, then, it must be granted, possess many advan- 

 tages over cut flowers for dinner-table decoration, yet for 

 the centre of the table nothing, in my opinion, can equal 

 in appearance an epergne dressed with choice cut flov/ers 

 and foliage, \\dth the occasional addition of a few carefully 

 selected examples of fruit. I have also seen small epergnes 

 containing nothing more than Black and White Grapes, 

 skilfully intermixed with Vine leaves and tendrils, wliich 

 had a very good effect. Vases of cut flowers for this pur- 

 pose are always appreciated, if they are suitable in design 

 and size. 



In setting up the fruit, if flowers are used, the simplest 

 and most effective method is to arrange the latter in the 

 form of a wreath. These wreaths should be just visible 

 over the edges of the dishes, and rest lightly and grace- 

 fully against the lowest tier of fruit. A good wreath for a 

 dish of dark-coloured fruit is formed of shoots of Ceras- 

 tium tomentosum with single flowers of Campanula, used 

 in just sufficient quantity to relieve the sameness of the 

 grey ; fresh young shoots of variegated Pelargonium 

 Dandy, intermixed ■syith cither pink or blue blossom, are 

 a'ss good : and small leaves or shoots of Pelargonium 

 Italia Unita form a lovel.y wreath. For fruit of a lighter 

 colour, shoots of Begonia fuclisioides interspersed with its 

 unopened heart-shaped blossoms form a good wreath. 

 Then, agam, small fronds of Maiden-Iiair Fern, with the 

 deep cruuson flowers or seed-vessels of Chenopodium atri- 

 plicis are very beautiful. 



Although I have thus enumerated a few suitable wreaths, 

 yet the plants ofl'ering materials for this purpose are so 

 numerous as to render it useless to endeavour to form any ' 

 regular list. Each season of the year, in fact, offers ma- 

 terials for wreaths peculiar to itself; for instance, early in 

 spring, how chaste and elegant is a wreath of the fresh 

 young shoots of the common Laurel regularly inter- 

 spersed with its pure wliite blossoms ! or a wreath of the 

 foliage and blossom of any of the Myosotis family, or the 

 tips of the young shoots of the Spruce Fir, dotted \\'itli 

 the pink blossoms of the Larch. All such materials are 

 of the simplest description, hence their suitability for the 

 purpose. 



One other point must be remembered, which is, that 



no flowers possessing the slightest offensive odour should 



be used, for no matter however well adapted they may 



othermse be, yet should they impart the slightest \m- 



No.10S4.-VoL. XLII., Old Sembs. 



