May 10, 1906. 



The Weekly Florists^ Review. 



1777 



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THE RETAIL 



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FLORIST, 



LILY OF THE VALLEY SHOWER. 



The bunch of valley shown in the ac- 

 companying illustration is as nearly in- 

 formal as a shower can be made. There 

 is no attempt to preserve a strictly 

 round bunch at the top, nor to hold the 

 ribbon in any special position, other 

 than to scatter the streamers by a few 

 long sprays of Sprengeri, fastened 

 downward from the stems of the val- 

 ley. This not only scatters the stream- 

 ers but prevents that stringy look seen 

 in some showers. 



In the construction of the top bunch 

 six or eight valley sprays are stemmed 

 on half a matchstick and some stiff 

 green tied in between the bunches to 

 throw them out from one arother. 



This makes a larger bunch without 

 using an immense number of flowers. 

 It also reduces the size of the stem 

 of the bouquet, the advantage of which 

 is not difficult to see. 



Gauze ribbon is used for the shower 

 and embroidered chiffon for the sash. 



Chiffon should never be tied as rib- 

 bon. Make loops and tie in place with 

 baby ribbon. In tying a chiffon sash 

 such as is used for this shower fasten 

 one loop well up against the side of 

 the bouquet, bring the other end around 

 behind the bouquet and make and tie 

 the one bow on the other side in the 

 same way. Gertrude Blair. 



IDEAS VALUABLE. 



Some time ago a window decoration in 

 a large flower store in the city of Phila- 

 delphia was entitled "The Story of the 

 Violet, ' ' taken from the opera, ' ' Prince 

 of Pilsen, " playing in that city at that 

 time. It consisted of an old-fashioned 

 table, an old, worn violin and a mouldy 

 sheet of music, showing the name of the 

 selection, "The Story of the Violet." 

 On the table were scattered small and 

 large bunches of violets, also on the floor 

 of the window and there were many other 

 smaller details. But as an example, 

 there were six customers of mine who 

 visited Philadelphia and remarked to me 

 the ' ' slick ' ' decorated window, as thev 

 called it. ■ H. C. IT. ' 



VALUE OF NEATNESS. 



"When you meet people you instinctive- 

 ly size them up by the clothes they wear. 

 Carelessly dressed people are sized up as 

 careless in other things. It 's the quiet, 

 tasteful dresser that commands imme- 

 diate respect and attention. 



And the same thing applies to our 

 business. Don't send out flowers done 

 up in an old shoe box wrapped up in 

 newspaper. You can't afford it. Good 

 wrapping paper and good boxes are too 

 cheap. You neither need nor should use 

 ' ' flashy ' ' boxes. Of course, in very cold 

 weather, when plants and flowers need 

 extra protection, we must use several 

 thicknesses of newspaper, but see that 

 the outside is covered with wrapping pa- 

 per. With flowers the same as with 

 candy, the style of package is everything, 



for first impressions go a long way 

 toward making satisfactory and profit- 

 able customers. 



Study color combinations of paper and 

 string; if you use a soft grey paper use 

 purple string; for boxes containing vio- 

 lets use either a pure white paper with 

 purple string, or purple paper with sil- 

 ver string, such as confectioners use. A 

 safe rule to follow is to have your paj)er 

 match your flowers as nearly as possible 

 and let the string be an agreeable con- 

 trast. 



If you deliver orders by wagon see 

 that your wagon is clean, that the horse 

 and harness are neat and a credit to your 

 place. It is careful attention to little 

 details like this that spells S-U-C-C-E-S-S 

 in great big letters. 



Jf you have greenhouses, go through 

 them and see that the plants are ar- 

 ranged so that all of a variety are to- 

 getlier and see that there is no rubbish 

 under the ])enthcs. Not only is it bad 

 lui;^!ios8 but it looks bad. I have noticed 

 a number of ])iaces Avhere the green- 

 houses were kept absolutely clean, but 

 the outside. Oli, my! Oh, my! It struck 

 me as being .something "fierce" and the 

 prospective customer would receive the 

 same impression. So get your men to- 

 jjetiior and have a "cleaning bee" if 

 your jilace needs it, for once more I 

 say, "first impressions go a long way," 



Billy Van. 



DECORATION DAY. 



The purists call it Memorial day, but 

 practical people among the florists are 

 content to call to mind that May 30, by 

 whatever name, has been an increasingly 

 active occasion in recent years and in 

 1905 and 1904 taxed the resources of 

 the flower stores to a notable degree. Of 

 course nuich depends on local conditions. 

 If the lilacs and viburnums are in full 

 iiloom it eases the call on the florists; 

 if garden flowers are not available it 

 means that everyone will want flowers 

 from the stores. 



A Bridal Bouquet of Valley. 



