Decorating tKe Dining Table \vitK Fruit and Flo>vers* 



DECORATION^of^the dinner tabk- 

 is an art that appeals to every one 

 interested in gardening. No hard 

 and fast rules can be laid down, as so 

 much depends on the size of the table to 

 be decorated, the material available to 

 work with, the likes and dislikes of those 

 whom it is desired to please. 



VASES 



The ' vases or other receptacles for 

 flowers vary greatly in style, form and 

 size; in fact, almost to an endless ex- 

 tent. Many of them are very orna- 

 mental as well as useful, and a picture 

 in themselves even when empty. As a 

 rule, the more ornamental the vase the 

 less suitable it becomes for tasteful ar- 



When convertible vases are employed 

 and the flowers are to be arranged in 

 tiers; in other words, one lot above the 

 other, they should be sorted according 

 to size, the largest flowers at the bottom 

 or base, medium sized flowers in the 

 centre, and the smallest and lightest flow- 

 ers on the top. A few medium sized 

 flowers among the lighter ones will give 

 strength and character to the top of an 

 arrangement; and a few of the lightest 

 flowers should be placed among the large 

 ones in the base. This addition gener- 

 ally improves the whole arrangement, 

 giving it a light and graceful effect. 



ARRANGEMENT OF FLOWERS 



Flowers should also be sorted accord- 



Not a Dining Table, but Decoratioas as Beautiful shown at Brantford 



rangement of flowers; of course, there 

 are many elegantly shaped vases that 

 show off floral decorations exceedingly 

 well, but much of the design and beauty 

 are concealed. Sometimes special de- 

 signs or colors are used for special pur- 

 poses or occasions, which, of course, 

 must conform to the size of other objects 

 on the same table. 



There are many beautiful forms of 

 vases suitable for the dinner table; but 

 flowers generally look best when ar- 

 ranged in glass than in vases made of 

 other material. Multiplex, convertible, 

 or any other table vases may be used. 



*A paper read by Mr. Geo. H. Hale before the 

 Monmouth County (New Jersey) Horticultural 

 Society. 



ing to form and color. Those of a sim- 

 ilar form group much better than mixed 

 forms. Colors must be employed that 

 will harmonize or contrast well, using 

 the darkest shades below and light ones 

 above. Sometimes shades of color are 

 allowed to be of more consequence than 

 size of flowers. Small flowers of a dark 

 shade, arranged in a bold mass at the 

 base of a vase, look well with larger 

 flowers of lighter shades arranged above 

 them. 



Some kinds of flowers which look well 

 by daylight are utter failures under 

 electric or other light. Yellow flowers 

 of any shade, for instance, are very ef- 

 fective by daylight ; under artificial light 

 they are much paler, some of the lighter 



272 



shades of yellow appearing white, or 

 almost white. Bright hued flowers, such 

 as bright shades of red, crimson or pink, 

 always look well under any light. Light 

 blue, or mauve, does not hght up well ; 

 yet shades of purple are very effective. 



PLANTS TO USE 



There are many foliage and flowerii;. 

 plants suitable for table decoration^ 

 either used alone or in combination wiili 

 ferns or other green for a base. Plani 

 over 15 inches in height should not L. 

 employed. A point could be strained 

 with a tall-stemmed Cocos Weddeliana, 

 or some of the arahas, such as Aralia 

 gracillima and elegantissima, or plants vi 

 that description, when the foliage is 

 graceful and yet not loo dense to obstruct 

 the view. Small standard plants with 

 a light and graceful head can be usid 

 Such plants must have a slender an<i 

 clear stem of 20 inches from the table i 

 the lower branches. Tall glass vases 

 with a slender stem can with discretion 

 be employed in the same way. The 

 stems of plants or vases can be improved 

 by entwining them with hght and grace- 

 ful vines such as Asparagus plumosus. 

 and so on, provided the view is not ol 

 structed between 15 and 20 inches, so a> 

 to prevent the guests seeing each other 

 quite freely. The size of vases and 

 plants must be regulated by the size and 

 form of the table. If the vases are too 

 small, the decoration will appear small 

 and lacking in character, no matter how 

 the flowers are arranged. Then, again, 

 if the vases or plants are too large, the 

 result will be a heavy effect. A verv 

 effective arrangement can be had bv 

 trailing strings of asparagus, smilax or 

 other \nnes from the centre candelabra 

 and looping them to candlesticks, pro- 

 vided the work is lightly done. 



The following plants are verj- useful 

 for table work, when symmetrical and 

 of proper size. Pandanus Veitchii, P. 

 graminaefolius, small, graceful-leaved 

 dracaenas and crotons, Cocos Weddeli- 

 ana, and such ferns as Adiantum cunei; 

 turn, A. Farleyense, and so on. Amoii 

 the best flowering plants for tables ar 

 Begonia Gloire de Lorraine, Primula ol 

 conica grandiflora,' P. chinensis, P. stel- 

 lata, cyclamen, lily'of the valley, ericas 

 and so on. W'- 



Sometimes silver plate is heavily dis 

 played; others use valuable and beauti- 

 ful china in their table arrangement. In 

 this case small plants are more in keep- 

 ing than flowers in vases. In order to 

 offset the stiffness, the cloth can be 

 trailed with asparagus or other green, 

 with a few flowers carelessly scattered 

 here and there; or oblong sprays of 

 Clematis paniculata. Euphorbia jac- 

 quiniseflora,' Bougainvillea glabra, B. 

 Sanderiana, 'tropaeolums, and so on. 



