THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 307 



metal surfaces close together, which draw the water up by capillary 

 attraction, and keep them fresh for a great length of time. For 

 this, fiat flowers, such as geraniums, pansies, petunias, chrysan- 

 themums, etc., which can be cut singly and arranged in colours, are 

 best. Globular flowers, such as roses, are quite unfit for it. 



In contrasting the colours of flowers, it should be remembered 

 that green is a relief to almost any colour, and most especially to 

 scarlet ; yellow sets off violet, but has rather a vulgar look when 

 brought into too close a proximity to red. Blue is the best contrast 

 to orange, but blue and yellow are in bad taste ; white relieves all 

 colours except pale pink or lavender; and strong colours of any 

 kind destroy the beauty of weaker ones, however charming the 

 latter may be in themselves ; hence it is better to tone down glaring 

 colours with white or green than with pale neutral tints. A few 

 examples of bouquets will, perhaps, be useful as a guide to those 

 who wish to excel in the art of using cut flowers to advantage ; and, 

 first, for a bouquet fit for a large vase — centre cluster of white 

 asters ; next circle of blue violets or blue lobelias ; next circle of 

 crimson pelargoniums; next circle of white asters; then circle of 

 red gladioli ; next circle of green sprigs of common heath ; next 

 circle of purple asters ; next circle of white asters ; outside dahlias of 

 sorts, or, still better, of one colour, say Lord Bath or Captain 

 Ingram. Another — a sprig of white erica, surrounded with com- 

 mon heath; next ring of red gladioli ; next white asters; next blue 

 iris or agapanthus ; next crimson verbenas ; next white asters ; 

 outside blush roses. Bouquets of this sort were exhibited at Ver- 

 sailles, some years ago, by M. Louviot, and were much admired for 

 their beautiful arrangement of colours. Do not forget how much 

 ferns may be employed to give grace of form and lovely hues of 

 green to bouquets, especially maidenhairs, harts-tongues, and poly- 

 podies. A white camellia, with two sprigs of mignonette and two 

 fronds of maidenhair, make a chaste posy, worthy the hand of a 

 blushing bride. 



JARDINIERES AND BASKETS. 



[JARDINIERE is the fashionable name for a flower-basket, 

 but it should be applied only to architectural beds and 

 fancy porte-fleurs, not to the old-fashioned rustic boxes 

 which look so pretty on lawns. My best Jardiniere is 

 one of Ran some's, made of the patent imperishable 

 silicious stone. It forms a very beautiful object on gravel, as a 

 centre bed surrounded with flower-boxes of ths same material. The 

 flower-boxes are filled with soil and planted ; but the Jardinet we 

 keep furnished with potting-plants. With rustic baskets it is best 

 to turn the plants out, but Jardinieres that are to occupy prominent 

 places should be furnished with potted plants only, because, if a 

 swarm of caterpillars should appear, or if the plants should get 

 shabby, it is an easy matter to renew them. My Jardinet is kept 



Ootcbe . 



