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June 7, 1006. 



The Weekly Rorists' Review* 



147 



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THE RETAIL 



FLORIST.V... 



BRIDAL BOUQUETS. 



Sweet peas, valley or swainsona make 

 airy, dainty bride's shower bouquets. 

 All of these are best arranged in the 

 shower form. The top of the shower 

 should be put together in a round effect; 

 that is, a round top effect, not a ball 

 shape. The outline should be broken by 

 sprays projecting above the body of the 

 bouquet. 



Short-stemmed flowers cannot be used 

 without artificial mounting. Even long- 

 stemmed valley needs wiring for extra 

 length. A difficulty presents itself when 

 an attempt is made to attach soft stems 

 like tiiese to a wire sufficiently strong 

 to holi] the flowers erect. To avoid this 

 and also to reduce the amount of wire 

 in the stems of the bouquet, wire sev- 

 eral sprays of valley or peas with one 

 wire wrapping and a little foliage 

 around the flower stem between it and 

 the wire. Wire close to the lower end 

 of thf stems and put all the little 

 bunches together for the bouquet. 



Uou't try to make a perfectly round 

 bunch. Let the general effect be round, 

 but the outline broken every once in a 

 while. 



Fine foliage, like asparagus or adian- 

 tum, makes a good border or edge for 

 the top bunch. Even a wide fringe of 

 adiantums will not make the bouquet too 

 heavy. 



Fasten the bunches together with a 

 tight clasp of wire. Cover the wire 

 stems with green and wrap the whole 

 stem of the bouquet with white ribbon 

 or silk to protect the hands, after turn- 

 ing in all stray ends of wire or prickly 

 foliage. 



Cut the sash ribbon according to the 

 height of the bride, allowing a little for 

 a possible change of position in hold- 

 ing. The shower bouquet, by the way, 

 should be carried in the hand and not 

 on the ar:n. 



Lily of the valley and sweet peas can 

 be used prettily together in a shower 

 bouquet, the two mixed in the top and 

 one kind in the .shower, preferably the 

 valley, as being the lighter. 



Material for the streamers in the 

 shower nmy be fine strands of green, 

 like- smilax or asparagus, or a cluster 

 of different lengths of narrow ribbon, 

 "1 gauze, satin taffeta or velvet ribbon, 

 wnite, cream, or green to match the 

 flowers or foliage. The new gauze or 

 chiffon tasseled ribbon is a dainty 

 shower material. Avoid tying many 

 Knots in the streamers bv tying the 

 flowers on with tiny bows of one-eighth 

 yard lengths of the same width ribbon, 

 catch two streamers together and drape 

 8'ightly in two or three places in the 

 shower. 



The sash should correspond in color 

 an. material to the shower, but of wide 

 ribbon, ^o. 40 or over. Let the stream- 

 ers be as long as the longest streamer of 

 the shower and the bows less than half 

 as long. The sash should hang behind 

 the shower, whidi should be light and 



gauzy enough to ailow the sash to be 

 seen through it. 



The bouquet for the maid of honor 

 should be of flowers similar to the 

 bride's and alike in arrangement, and 

 the bridesmaids' a deep tint or shade 

 of the same color. Gertrude Blair. 



SEASONABLE SUGGESTIONS. 



After placing an attractive display 

 basket upon an iron plant stand or a 

 pedestal, a lanky look sometimes ap- 

 pears. To relieve this, set a group of 

 foliage plants about the base of the 

 stand, Boston ferns or Asparagus plu- 

 mosus are usually available. Another 

 relief is the draping of a string of 

 smilax or asparagus over the top, and 

 in front of the stand. Fill in the base 

 of the pedestal with a pretty specimen 

 plant, or a bowl of cut green, or long- 

 stemmed flowers, A group of cut lilies, 

 full-blown roses, or three or four ferns 

 around a bay tree will add to its beauty, 

 and also display the stock to good ad- 

 vantage. 



The boutonnieres for the bridal party 



sometimes receive no attention at all. 

 The gentlemen should be provided with 

 them to match the bouquets which their 

 partners carry. One fine specimen flower 

 with its own foliage, and a small pin 

 with a black or violet head should be 

 provided with each boutonniere. 



With the end of the violet season, 

 natty bunches of valley and sweet peas 

 tied with tasseled gauze ribbon to match 

 are becoming favorites for corsage bou- 

 quets. 



Among the few formal designs sur- 

 viving for decorative ])urposes, is the 

 heart. One recently made for a luncheon 

 for a prospective bride was solid with 

 sweet peas ranging in color from an 

 irregular blotch of King Edward VII, 

 red, to a lighter red variety. Encircling 

 the center irregularly appeared Blanche 

 Ferry, gradually shading into Gladys 

 Unwin at the edge. At both ends of the 

 heart as it lay flat on the table were 

 loose lovers' knots of slender sprays of 

 smilax laid upon the cloth. The heart 

 was noticeably rounded, displaying the 

 flowers and coloring to good advantage. 



Gertrude Blair, 



DEPARTMENT STORE SALES. 



The department stores are becoming 

 an important factor in the flower and 

 plant business. A number of the lead- 

 ing establishments in the various large 

 cities, like Bloomingdale 's in New York 

 and Daniels & Fisher in Denver, main- 

 tain regular flower departments, which 

 are conducted along the most approved 

 lines of retailing flowers and plants. 



Bridal Bouquet of Sweet Peas. 



