DESCHAMPSIA 



DESIGN 



989 



south in the mountains. In England, it is sometimes 

 used by the farmers to make door-mats. 



flexuosa, Trin. (Alra flexudsa, Linn.). WOOD HAIR- 

 GRASS. Culms slender, 1-2 ft.: blades numerous, 

 capillary: panicle open, the flexupus branches spikelet- 

 bearing near the ends. Dept. Agric., Div. Agrost. 7 : 173. 

 Open woods N. E. U. S. Of some value for woodland 

 pastures, as it will grow well in the shade. Also used 

 for ornament. A form with yellow-striped foliage is sold 

 under the name Aira foliis variegatis. 



A. S. HITCHCOCK. 



DESIGN, FLORAL. An important feature of the 

 work of a retail florist is the making of floral designs or 

 "set pieces." Fig. 1242. This work is directly opposed 

 to the informal arrangement of flowers which is so 

 much admired at the present time. See Bouquets, Vol. 

 I. By artistic arrangement, however, these designs 

 are now made less formal than in the earlier history 

 of the retailer's work. These designs lend themselves 

 well to the working out of various inscriptions and 

 legends in flowers; therefore, these are most frequently 

 used as tokens of affection 

 sent to friends or relatives 

 at the time of a death. 

 These designs are also 

 much in demand by vari- 

 ous fraternal orders and 

 other societies, when the 

 emblems of the order or 

 society are worked out in 

 flowers and sent as a 

 tribute to the house of sor- 

 row. They therefore have 

 their place in the work of 

 every flower-shop. 



As has been stated, the 

 present-day tendency in 

 the arrangement of flow- 

 ers in designs is to get as 

 far away as possible from 

 a stiff, set formality. A 

 design must, of necessity, 

 be distinct in outline, but 

 by a careful and free use 

 of ferns and other florists' 

 "green," the effect may 

 be made somewhat infor- 

 mal and pleasing. Various 

 forms of the "shower" 

 wreath illustrate this, as 

 well as a loose arrange- 

 ment of flowers, and even 

 foliage and flowering plants about the base of a standing 

 emblem. 



The most common forms of floral designs in use at 

 the present time are flat and standing wreaths, pillows, 

 casket-covers, crosses, anchors, and the emblems of 

 various fraternal orders, such as the Masonic square 

 and compass, and the Odd Fellows' three links. 



The flowers, of which these designs are made, vary 

 in different stores. The price which is to be paid for the 

 design usually governs the species and varieties used. 

 Orchids, lilies, lilies-of-the-valley, roses and Farleyense 

 ferns compose the most expensive designs; while carna- 

 tions, stevia, Roman white hyacinths and other more 

 common flowers, with asparagus fern, comprise the 

 cheaper designs. Usually the florist determines the price 

 the customer wishes to pay and selects the flowers in 

 accordance with this. Within recent years there has 

 come to be a demand for unusual material in designs, 

 and boxwood, galax, leucothoe and magnolia leaves, 

 ericas and other woody plants have been much used. 



In making these designs, the arrangement must 

 necessarily be quite formal; therefore, wire frames are 

 used. These are made in large quantities by various 



1242. A floral design. 



wire-working firms and are sold at wholesale at a 

 comparatively low figure. In order to emphasize the 

 particular formal outline and to hold the flowers 

 permanently in place, the flower-stems are usually 

 removed and the flowers then wired with 9- or 12-inch, 

 No. 22 or No. 24 wire. The wire forms are first filled 

 with sphagnum moss, which is moistened so that the 

 flowers will retain their freshness, and the wired stems 

 of the flowers are inserted in this moss. The wiring is 

 an art, and the design-worker becomes so proficient in 

 this that many flowers may be wired in a short period 

 of time. This is necessary when many designs must be 

 made quickly, as is so frequently the case in a flower- 

 shop at the time of the funeral of a distinguished person. 

 Design work usually brings the retailer a substantial 

 remuneration. In many instances, flowers of a lower 

 quality may be used in designs than are demanded 

 by persons buying cut-flowers. They must always be 

 fresh, however; but, when roses are used, those having 

 short stems are just as desirable as long-stemmed 

 flowers. In carnations, many having a split calyx may 

 be used when they would be salable in no other way. 



If Roman hyacinths are 

 used, the main truss may 

 be sold as cut-flowers, and 

 the secondary trusses used 

 in designs. 



The green elements in 

 the design, which are used 

 to emphasize the beauty 

 of the flowers, vary much 

 in different stores. Each 

 designer has his own ideas 

 regarding the uses of this 

 material, but often he is 

 compelled to use what is 

 available at the precise 

 moment when it is needed. 

 Because of its excellent 

 keeping qualities, the 

 "dagger," or Christmas 

 fern, is frequently used; 

 but, when this is plainly 

 visible in the finished 

 design, it has a coarse 

 appearance which cheap- 

 ens the effectiveness of 

 the piece. It may, how- 

 ever, be used as a cover 

 for the frame and moss, 

 with excellent effects. The 

 "fancy dagger," or spinu- 

 lose wood fern, is more 

 attractive than the common dagger fern. One of the 

 earlier greens used was smilax, but this has inferior 

 keeping qualities -to other kinds and is not so popular 

 at the present time. It does not lend itself readily to a 

 loose, formal arrangement. Both Asparagus plumosus 

 and A. Sprengeri make excellent backgrounds for all 

 design work. For softening effects to be worked among 

 the flowers, nothing adds value to the design so much as 

 a few sprays of Adiantum Croweanum or A. Farleyense. 

 Often the foliage of the plants from which the flowers 

 come adds a more pleasing effect than does the green 

 of any other species. This is especially true when roses 

 or lilies-of-the-valley are used. 



Of the many designs made by the retailer of flowers, 

 wreaths are probably the most in demand. They 

 exhibit good taste, and many have excellent keeping 

 qualities. One of the earlier forms was made of Eng- 

 lish ivy, and the effect was pleasing. This was espec- 

 ially so when the wreath was enriched with a large 

 bunch of violets, arranged in a loose, artistic manner. 

 Because of the difficulty of getting a sufficient quantity 

 of these leaves, the ivy wreath has been largely replaced 

 by that made of galax leaves. These have excellent 



