208 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



SPEATS FOE THE HAIR. 



BY 3IISS A. HASSAED. 



lY last paper in the Floeal "WoRLB being on the subject of 

 bouquets for the head, I think I cannot do better 

 than follow it up by one on the arranging of natural 

 flowers for the hair, as one so often accompanies the 

 other. Sprays of natural flowers in the hair have 

 a much more pleasing effect than those formed of artificial flowers, 

 but they are not so often employed as they otherwise would be, from 

 the prevailing supposition that they soon droop and fade in the 

 heated atmosphere of a theatre or ball-room. That they do so, 

 if not properly mounted, there cannot be two opinions, therefore 

 how to mount them properly and get over this difiiculty is what I 

 shall endeavour clearly to explain. 



All flowers such as pelargoniums, etc., should be gummed, and 

 such as camellias and gardenias wired. Those varieties which last 

 longest should be selected, but by being mounted many can be 

 employed which would otherwise fall to pieces in a few hours when 

 subjected to a heated atmosphere. To enter on the subject of how 

 each particular flower should be wired would take up far too much 

 apace, therefore I must only presume that my readers are well in- 

 formed on this point, and have the flowers which may be selected 

 so prepared. The form and style as regards shape of sprays of 

 natural flowers change with the fashion just as much as with artificial 

 ones, therefore the best plan is to copy the form of the fashionable 

 artificial ones as closely as possible. 



The centre flower of all sprays for the hair is mostly of a larger 

 size than the others employed in its construction, such for example as 

 a rose-bud, gardenia, etc. ; then around this centre flower are worked 

 others of a lighter growth and smaller size, such as stephanotis, bou- 

 vardia, etc. The flowers to form the point should be lighter still, 

 such as lily of the valley, or any of a light and graceful form suited 

 to finish ofi" the point. At this season a pretty spray could be 

 formed of a bloom of eucharis amazonica, spikes of scarlet ixia, and 

 pips of stephanotis, maidenhair fern being intersperj^ed through the 

 •whole. I shall now describe how I should set about arranging a 

 spray of the flowers which I have just enumerated. First as to the 

 wires, etc., required ; these will be a stub wire, some piercing wire, 

 a reel of fine binding wire, some fresh green wood moss, and a little 

 white cotton wool. The first thing I should do would be to pull the 

 truss of stephanotis to pieces, that is to say, break or cut off each 

 pip, in place of leaving them all in one truss, as when growing. 

 The number of pips which form one truss vary, some have five 

 and others seven pips, and some even a larger number. Having 

 separated each pip, I should pierce the tube close to where the short 

 stem joins on, with one of the piercing wires, and I should cross 

 this again with another, which would leave four ends projecting, and 



i 



