990 



DESIGN 



DESMANTHUS 



keeping qualities and are obtained in large quantities 

 by wholesale dealers from the mountains of North and 

 South Carolina. Both bronze and green galax may be 

 secured, but the green is most satisfactory as it makes 

 a more pleasing contrast with a larger number of 

 colors of flowers. It is customary to make these in 

 rather large sizes, a 16-inch frame, or even larger, 

 being used. Usually the right-hand side of the wreath 

 is decorated with roses, lilies-of-the-valley, or other 

 flowers. A standing galax wreath, with a base of galax 

 leaves, cocos palms, white roses and "valley," and the 

 wreath itself decorated with white roses, lilies-of-the- 

 valley, with shower sprays of '/valley" and maiden- 

 hair ferns on dainty narrow ribbon, makes an effective 

 design. If a single spray of cattleyas is placed among 

 the roses and "valley," the effect is enriched wonder- 

 fully. Magnolia and leucothoe leaves are also used 

 extensively for wreaths, but this foliage is heavier and 

 less pleasing than galax. However, the buying public 

 is tiring of the galax, and the retailer is searching the 

 continents for something to replace it. Boxwood also 

 makes a rich and attractive wreath. Wreaths made 

 principally of flowers are often in demand, and when 

 varieties are carefully selected, the results are pleasing. 

 Fig. 1242 (redrawn from American Florist). 



In selecting the flowers for any design, certain rules 

 must be observed. In the first place, a designer must 

 realize that, as in all other flower-arrangement, a 

 lavish use of material is not essential to good effects. 

 A flower has an individuality of its own, and this 

 should be just as pronounced in a design as in a loose 

 vase arrangement. At no time should the material 

 be crowded. When an inscription is to be placed over 

 the flowers, as, for example, in a pillow when carna- 

 tions are to be the background, even then each carna- 

 tion should show its form and the background 

 should not be a mass of petals without definite shape. 

 As a general thing, it is best to place the flowers 

 in position first, after having covered the mossed frame 

 with green, and then to work the foliage among the 

 flowers where it is needed for the best effects. This 

 method requires fewer flowers, and the effect is more 

 artistic. In making a design, it must be remembered 

 that there may be contrast of forms as well as colors. 

 As a rule, there should not be over three contrasts of 

 forms and two contrasts of colors, although there 

 may be variations to this rule in special cases. As 

 regards shapes and forms, it is quite essential that 

 larger, heavier blooms, such as lilies and roses, should 

 be contrasted with sprays of a light and graceful 

 character, like lilies-of-the-valley and Roman hya- 

 cinths. The larger flowers are to be placed low in the 

 arrangement, and the finer sprays higher. Often the 

 center of a design is made of one particular species, as, 

 for example, pink roses with their foliage; and the 

 borders of the design are filled with sprays of lighter 

 flowers, like lilies-of-the-valley with their foliage or 

 that of the maidenhair fern. If in the arrangement 

 of the larger flowers a few buds of the species used are 

 added, the effectiveness of form is increased. 



In selecting colors for designs, the lighter shades 

 are the most desired, although in recent years there 

 has come to be a freer use of darker colors. For exam- 

 ple, a large wreath of Richmond or other red roses 

 contrasted ^with lilies-of-the-valley or white Roman 

 hyacinths, is very effective and is not considered out 

 of place for a funeral design. The amateur should, 

 however, avoid striking contrasts or to endeavor to 

 harmonize unusual forms in flowers. The experienced 

 designer may bring these together with pleasing effects, 

 but this ability comes only after years of study and 

 experience. Large designs are more easily arranged 

 than small ones, and in them may be used a wider 

 range of colors. The most striking colors are, however, 

 widely separated, and between these the flowers should 

 be of such tints that they assist in blending. 



Flowers with a strong fragrance should not be used 

 in designs if they can be avoided. They are especially 

 objectionable if they are to be used in a dwelling-house 

 where the rooms are often crowded. In a church or 

 other large room, the fragrance is less noticeable. 

 Polyanthus narcissi, tuberoses and freesias are espe- 

 cially objectionable. The more delicate odors of violets, 

 lilies-of-the-valley and Roman hyacinths are less so. 



The funeral designs most frequently ordered by the 

 immediate family are pillows and casket-covers. Both 

 of these demand careful treatment in making, the 

 pillow being especially difficult. The smaller the 

 pillow, the harder it is to produce a pleasing result. 

 The flowers should be of a rich character, and it shows 

 better judgment to select a less expensive wreath as a 

 floral tribute than to purchase a pillow made of cheap 

 flowers. Casket-covers should also be made of expensive 

 flowers. These covers are not lasting, for they must of 

 necessity be light in character; and moss, which is so 

 necessary to retain moisture and freshness in the 

 flowers, cannot well be used. Light wire of a fine 

 mesh, such as mosquito netting, is cut of the desired 

 size and the flowers which are usually of one species, 

 like Easter lilies or roses, are wired to this with suffi- 

 cient foliage or other green to cover the wire. A flower 

 of some contrasting color may be used for a border; 

 or a rich outline of smilax is effective. 



The construction of many fraternal emblems in a 

 pleasing, artistic way, demands all the fine points of 

 the professional designer's skill. Often all rules of 

 flower-arrangement have to be disregarded. Special 

 emblems have to be made of special colors; and when 

 an emblem must be made which calls for definite parts 

 to be blue, others to be yellow, red, white and green, 

 the problem to harmonize these is a serious one. The 

 designer has no choice in such a case, and can meet 

 this demand only with an attempt to reduce to the 

 minimum these clashing contrasts in color. 



As has been stated, formal designs in the arrange- 

 ment of cut-flowers are a necessity, and for these 

 there will probably always be a demand. The designer 

 should have in mind, however, that it is possible to 

 arrange flowers in a pleasing way and still emphasize 

 the formal lines. Artists in this line of work are just 

 as truly "born, not made," as in any other branch of 

 art: and unless one has a genuine love for flowers and 

 the artist's skill in their arrange- 

 ment, the making of formal designs 

 should not be attempted. 



E. A. WHITE. 



DESMANTHUS (name refera 

 to flowers being in bundles). Syn. 

 Acuan. Leguminosse. About 10 

 herbs or shrubs in subtropical N. 

 Amer., and 1 in the tropics of the 

 Old World, a few of the American 

 species reaching well north in the 

 U. S.; probably not regularly cult., 

 but now and then transferred to 

 the garden for the effect of their 

 bipinnate Ivs. and small greenish 

 white fls., in axillary peduncled 

 heads or spikes. The genus is one 

 of the Mimosa tribe, and the fls. 

 are not papilionaceous: petals 5, 

 distinct or very nearly so; calyx 

 bell-shaped, 5-toothed; stamens 5 

 or 10, distinct, usually exserted: 

 pod flat, narrow, straight or 

 curved, several-seeded. D. illino- 

 ensis, MacM. (Mimosa illinoensis, 

 Michx. A cuan illinoensis, Kuntze), 

 occurs in prairies and river borders 

 1243. Desmazeria from Ind. west and south: 1-5 ft., 

 sicula. (XYz) nearly glabrous, perennial erect 



