62 



The Canadian Horticulturist. 



FLORAL DECORATIONS. 



ALF the enjoyment derivable from our surroundings 

 consists in knowing how to use the things at hand, and 

 to dispose of them to advantage. A room with the 

 same furniture may be elegant or commonplace simply 

 as a result of the disposal thereof, with or without taste. 

 So with the beautiful floral treasures with \^hich nearly 

 every rural home is plentifully supplied, it is not money 

 but taste that is required in order to decorate the rooms 

 and furniture of the house in elegant style. A writer in 

 the American Florist gives the following original hints 

 for a plan of floral decorations for a special occasion. 



The Jerusalem cherry is a charmingly prim little plant 

 and it might be used to advantage in any spot where the 



whole of its figure will be seen. It needs a pretty pot and some moss to hide 



the homely clay pot it grows it. The same applies to the azalea. But in using 



the latter it ought to be placed where it will be seen by itself. I do not wish to 



speak in any derogatory terms about anything which seems to me devoid of 



artistic merit ; it is much better to pass what 



is worthless and draw attention to that which 



is really beautiful ; but I must say that the 



fashion of massing a lot of plants together 



is, in the majority of cases, especially in 



moderately large rooms, decidedly tasteless. 



The azalea and the Jerusalem cherry tree 



should be isolated. 



Note my arrangement for the corner of a 



room ; instead of banishing the beautiful 



black silk, gold-embroidered Japanese screen, 



it might be fastened flat against the wall and 



thus furnish a splendid background for a 



specimen of Deutsche Perle azalea. The 



smilax or asparagus can be fastened to the 



picture moulding and hang gracefully until 



it touches the edge of the screen. 



My suggestion for a mantel pre-supposes 



the style of this to be Colonial, but the idea 



can be worked out with a mantel of any 



style. No material for holiday decorations 



impresses me with its artistic worth quite so 



strongly as the long needle pine (Pinus Fig. 420.— Corner of a Room. 



