April 5, 1900. 



The Weekly Florists^ Review* 



J 395 



THE RETAIL 



_ _ \ i 



FLORIST. 



EASTER ARRANGEMENTS. 



The Tasteful Use of Accessories. 



The trend of public taste has been such 

 in recent years that it is next to impossi- 

 ble to sell stock, especially at a holiday, 

 unless it is embellished with one or an- 

 other of the many requisites which the 

 ingenuity of the supply dealers has 

 placed at the command of the decorators. 

 The general adoption of these aids has 

 educated the public to expect them, and 

 the retailer who fails to avail himself of 

 the wealth of such material cannot hope 

 to do a first-class business. 



With the aid of the baskets, hampers, 

 ribbons and other accessories quite com- 

 mon plants may be given new and much 

 more attractive form and find a sale at 

 prices which they could not otherwise 

 command. Take, for instance, the illus- 

 tration of lily of the valley in this 

 issue. Here is a receptacle made to 

 suggest an Easter egg. It stands slight- 

 ly inclined to the front. A pan is pro- 

 vided to retain the moisture. In such a 

 receptacle lily of the valley presents a 

 new appearance. With the addition of 

 chiffon and an Easter chick the piece is 

 given a selling value which not only pays 

 a profit on the accessories but gives a 

 return for the valley which is several 

 times what it would have had in its na- 

 tural state. 



Profitable and Satisfying. 



And take then the primula shown in 

 another illustration. This is Primula 

 veris, pale yellow with darker center. It 

 is not an especially well grown plant 

 and would be classed among the cheaper 

 items of stock. Set into one of these 

 receptacles, with a couple of ducklings 

 peeping out, its selling value is far be- 

 yond the cost and much above the profit 

 which could be realized without the re- 

 ceptacle. And, above all, the buyer is 

 pleased. 



Twig Baskets. 



One of the most popular things shown 

 last year was the twig basket and it will 

 have a much wider sale this season. The 

 basket is made in innumerable forms, 

 both with and without handles. One of 

 the accompanying illustrations shows 

 such a basket, of course with a metal 

 pan inside, planted with hyacinths. Small 

 plants of Asparagus plumosus are used 

 as an edging, with willow twigs to add 

 to the spring-time appearance. This of 

 course was not complete without the 

 addition of the bow of chiffon, yards 

 upon yards of which are used at each 

 holiday in eVery up-to-date retail store. 



For Ungainly Plants. 



The average plant of genista would 

 lie unsalable without some form of em- 

 bellishment and that is certainly true of 

 The specimen illustrated. The top of 

 the plant is all right, but the long, lanky, 

 bare based character of the growth would 

 I'reclude a profitable sale if it were not 



for the addition of the asparagus and 

 chiffon as well as the pot cover. 



G-edit Due Supply Dealers. 



The competition among the supply 

 dealers has had the result of stimulat- 

 ing their efforts to secure novelties. It 



is such a wide variety in the line of 

 florists ' supplies that it is almost im- 

 possible for any retailer to buy or us© 

 them all. But he is neglecting his best 

 interests who fails to offer his Easter 

 stock embellished to the best of his 

 artistic ability with such a selection of 

 these requisites as the character of his 

 trade requires. There are expensive 

 things for high priced stores; there are 

 inexpensive pot covers, baskets, hampers, 

 ribbons, etc., for those whose trade puts 

 a limit on price. 



THE PLANT DISPLAY. 



IIow best to arrange potted plants for 

 a holiday display and yet waste no space 

 is no easy problem. As one arranges for 



An Awkward Plant Made Graceful. 



is an undoubted aid to their business, 

 as well as to the business of every retail 

 florist, to be able to offer something 

 which cannot be obtained of "the other 

 fellow." The result has been that there 



his Easter plant sales it will readily be 

 seen that a mixture of everything and 

 every color is the most difficult to choose 

 from. Plants should be so placed as 

 to enable the customer to get a yood 



