14 



The Florists' Review 



March 2, 1916. 



many of his patrons are away for vaca- 

 tion, for the planted grounds need at- 

 tention in the summer. Moreover, the 

 evergreens which Mr. McConnell has 

 in stock can be transplanted at almost 

 any time, if the operation is properly 

 performed. 



In Suburbs or Small Cities. 



Florists of the class represented by 

 Mr. McConnell, however, are much less 

 conveniently located for the prosecu- 

 tion of outdoor planting than are those 

 florists whose stores are in the suburbs, 

 or in towns or small cities. Florists so 

 situated, surrounded by private homes 

 with grounds in various stages of adorn- 

 ment or disfigurement or neglect, ought 

 not to have great difficulty in building 

 up a business in the planting of hard- 

 wooded stock. Their field of labor, 

 their harvest field, is all around them. 

 If they can obtain contracts to beautify 

 one or two homes, these homes will 

 thenceforth be successful solicitors for 

 more contracts — unless there is some- 

 thing desperately wrong with the beau- 

 tifying. 



Few of these florists, of course, can 

 have their own nurseries. In most 

 cases, in fact, they can get along much 

 better without their own nurseries, 

 especially at first, when their venture 

 as shrubbery planters is still in its 

 undeveloped stage. They can establish 

 business connections with the nearest 

 first-class nurseryman, so as to obtain 

 the stock as it is needed and at such 

 reasonable trade prices as the nursery- 

 man will gladly grant. And many of 

 them can have at least a small patch 

 of ground for the effective display of 

 sample shrubbery, in the planting sea- 

 son or all the year, in addition to such 

 stock as they exhibit in the store itself 

 or about the doorway. 



Making Fall Planting Popular. 



Since one of the chief purposes in 

 undertaking the planting of hard- 

 wooded stock is to lengthen the outdoor 

 season, the florist should do all in his 



power to overcome the popular preju- 

 dice against fall planting. He can ex- 

 ert his persuasive ability in that direc- 

 tion without any twinges of conscience, 

 however sensitive his conscience may 

 be, for most deciduous shrubs flourish 

 as well when planted in the fall as 

 when planted in the spring. Only 

 shrubs that are not entirely hardy are 

 endangered by fall planting. By en- 

 lightening the public on this point, the 

 florist will benefit the nurseryman as 

 well as himself, for the nurseryman will 

 be decidedly thankful for an increased 

 proportion of fall business. However, 

 this idea need not be put into effect 

 until autumn draws near. It is spring 

 business that is wanted now. 



As to the arrangement of the shrubs 

 on the grounds, there is only space 

 enough here to draw attention to one 

 or two elementary principles, which are 

 already well known to most florists, but 

 which cannot be too forcibly or fre- 

 quently mentioned. 



Magical Power of the Planter. 



Since the home grounds in towns or 

 suburbs are generally small, it would 

 be a great mistake to reduce the ap- 

 parent size of the grounds by planting 

 a shrub or a clump of shrubbery in the 

 middle of the space. It would be an 

 equally serious blunder to clutter shrubs 

 promiscuously all over the grounds, thus 

 producing an impression of crudity and 

 confusion. The central space should be 

 left open, and the shrubbery should be 

 placed along the boundaries, in the 

 corners of the grounds, and in the tri- 

 angular, oblong or irregular spaces 

 around the porch and other parts of the 

 residence, especially where grass would 

 not grow well. Here and there a shrub 

 or two should protrude just a little be- 

 yond the main body of the shrubbery, 

 like military sentinels — or, rather, like 

 "standing invitations," or advance 

 agents to bid visitors welcome. 



Such a system of planting, if skill- 

 fully carried out, gives the outline of 

 the grounds a softened, gracefully indefi- 

 nite, picturesque aspect, with delusive 



little openings or miniature imitations of 

 vistas, thus magnifying the dimensions 

 of the place instead of belittling them. 

 An ingenious, tasteful planter is a ver- 

 itable magician in his power of produc- 

 ing transformations. • . , 



A Planting Plan for Each Place. 



Another important rule is to study 

 closely the distinctive features and 

 adaptabilities of each home and use a 

 different planting plan for each one. 

 Each home has, or should have, its own 

 separate individuality and requires sep- 

 arate treatment. It should be the aim 

 of the florist-planter to add to the home 

 such horticultural adornments as fit the 

 contour of the place an^ look like a 

 completion of the architect's design. 

 Ally marked peculiarity of the building 

 or its surroundings provides a first-rate 

 opportunity for the planter, either to 

 accentuate the peculiarity or to veil and 

 obscure it. 



If, as is sometimes the case, a whole 

 block of residences is built after the 

 same pattern, looking as if chopped out 

 of one piece of material by a huge auto- 

 matic machine, then the florist may 

 perhaps have the difficult but worth- 

 while task of doing what the architect 

 neglected to do, giving each place a 

 character or individuality of its own. 



At first a florist may be slow and 

 dubious in estimating the possibilities 

 of a place and laying out a planting 

 plan, but he will gain quickness, skill 

 and certainty by continuing in practice, 

 as a physician attains proficiency in 

 diagnosing his cases. As a planter 

 gains in experience, he acquires an in- 

 creased power of visioning the finished 

 job, seeing it in his imagination before 

 he begins planting. In the words of 

 the popular figure of speech, he "has a 

 photograph" of the completed job be- 

 fore he puts a spade in the ground. 



BUSINESS EMBABBASSBfENTS 



Stamford, Conn. — The Stamford Seed 

 & Nursery Co., by James R. Palmer, 

 treasurer, filed a petition in bank- 



When a Retail Florist Goes Into the Nunery Builaest he Mutt Offer a Grade of Stock Above the Average. 



