i88 Notes and Gleanings. 



watei, and (instead of moss, which is recommended for garden and wild flowers) 

 the small-leaved lycopod should be planted all over. It will live a considerable 

 time, and seldom requires changing. Should the vase be small, or the flowers 

 very light, the sand may be dispensed with. 



A group of ferns only, in a high vase of frosted glass, has a very pleasant 

 effect in a bright sunny room, and is especially recommended for dinner-table 

 decoration in summer. Care should always be taken to suit the flowers to the 

 room or place for which they are intended. In a gayly-furnislied room, plenty 

 of white flowers and foliage should be used ; while, in a dull or shaded room, 

 brilliant coloring is better: but the colors must be well blended, or they will 

 completely spoil each other. Scarlet and white, as the most prominent colors, 

 with a free mixture of small blue flowers, and a tinge of yellow here and there, 

 with ferns and grasses, have a cheerful effect ; but no two reds, blues, or violets, 

 should ever be placed side by side. Yellow should be used sparingly as a rule ; 

 though it often looks well when alone, or mixed with blue or violet. Purple and 

 white flowers look exceedingly well with very yellow-green foliage, such as be- 

 longs to the white periwinkle. 



One very easy and eff"ective way of arranging flowers is to have a number of 

 small vases about the room, and to fill each with a distinct variety. This way 

 is particularly useful for wild flowers, as their colors are seldom decided enough 

 to mix well with other tints ; and yet they will furnish many a fragrant and 

 dainty decoration for the drawing-room, if skilfully managed. Imagine a Dob- 

 son stand covered with deep-pink dog-roses, a basketful of honeysuckle, a 

 high vase of the blue water forget-me-not, and some specimen glasses with any 

 pretty flower that may chance to grow in the neighborhood : the whole efl^ect 

 will be very good, and the scent delightful. 



Though it is certainly more difficult to arrange garden and wild flowers than 

 those which grow in a hothouse, yet, if a little time and thought be expended 

 on the subject, it is astonishing what a variety of beautiful arrangements may be 

 made from the simplest materials. Almost every thing that grows in an ordinary 

 garden may be used with advantage at some time. Even the twigs of trees will 

 sometimes look well as foliage, such as the dark-brown leaves and nuts of the cop- 

 per-beech, the brush-like flower of the sycamore, and the sweet-scented lime-blos- 

 som. But every thing should be arranged as Nature directs. That which grows 

 in a drooping form should still be allowed to droop ; and many a long-stemmed 

 flower is spoilt by being clipped to the requirements of a shallow vase. Crowd- 

 ing, also, should be carefully avoided; and the light and graceful forms of plants 

 and trees should be imitated as much as possible in the arrangement of flower- 

 vases. — L, Laughton, in 'Jotirnal of Horticulture, 



