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Jdlt 15, 1900. 



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The Weekly Florists' Review. 



I 



I 



THE RETAIL 



FLORIST 



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VALUE OF S TEMS AN D FOLIAGE. 



The Flowers' Natural Setting. 



No small share of the beauty of a 

 flower is due to the mounting and poise 

 supplied by the stem and foliage. Who 

 cares for a rose detached from the stem 

 and leaves I The public is fast learning 

 that a flower arrangement of any conse- 

 quence must, in the scheme of the decora- 

 tion, display the flowers with a reason- 

 able amount of their natural stem. A 

 spray at its best will show a stem long 

 enough to balance its size, in about the 

 proportion found in the choicest specimen 

 flowers used in it. 



How often a casket bunch is not con- 

 sidered finished until after the stems have 

 been bobtailed and evened off neatly! 

 Not only should the stem of the spray 

 be left long, but it should consist of a 

 number of stems of unequal length. Even 

 if no other purpose is served, every spray 

 should have a few long-stemmed speci- 

 mens to give it the desirable style. If 

 short-stemmed stock must be used, give 

 the stem of the spray artificial length by 

 fastening left-over stems in the tie, and 

 placing them so as to give them the ap- 

 pearance of belonging to the flowers. 



The average length of stem for a spray 

 seems in general to be about one-third 

 below the tie. Different flowers and dif- 

 ferent styles of sprays can be judged 

 according to requirements, and stems of 

 a good proportion kept or ^dded. 



Stem and Foliage in the Tie. 



Stems and foliage can be employed oc- 

 casionally as a tie, with fine effect — 

 sometimes actually tied, when their tex- 

 ture is tough enough; at other times in 

 imitation of a bow tie, as with wheat; 

 then, again, like a wisp. At other times 

 an unusually fine spray of foliage may 

 be caught in with the fabric tie and al- 

 lowed its liberty to stand up, out or to 

 one side. 



Do not try to cover thorny rose stems, 

 unless the foliage be poor. The spines 

 and stems, with their fine touches of 

 color, serve to blend the colors of the 

 flower with the color of the foliage, and 

 are also happy mediums of decorative 

 form as well as color. Add touches of 

 foreign foliage sparingly in the spray, 

 but be still more stingy with it over the 

 stem of the spray. 



Like tallness and slenderness in the 

 human race, long stems add style and 

 grace. They are never perfectly rigid and 

 straight, even a calla or a gladiolus stem 

 having perceptible curves. A spray or 

 piece which has as much character and 

 design as a gladiolus stalk may be con- 

 sidered a high grade of work. 



The Gladiolus as a Model. 



A little analysis of the lines composing 

 the scheme of design in the gladiolus 

 stalk is fascinating and profitable. Take 

 one and sketch it from nature. There is 

 a main stalk, with the leaves branching 

 out on either side and above, the flowers 

 with their outline conforming to the gen- 



eral plan and all finding their source 

 from the parent stem. All the lines form- 

 ing the outline of the foliage and fiowers 

 are gracefully curved into the more dig- 

 nified, long sweep of the main stalk. The 

 whole forms a fine design for a spi-ay. 

 After sketching the outline, take an ob- 

 servation trip around the coast line of 

 the sketch and see the deep indentations 



decorative value of stems on formal 

 pieces, the same principles ap^ly, and the 

 violation of such principles here will ac- 

 count largely for the objection made to 

 these designs by intelligent amateurs and 

 buyers. There is no reason why this 

 criticism should not be made the most of. 

 Have some stem ornamentation on pieces. 



Here is an open field for ambitious de- 

 signers. Not only may such pleasing use 

 be made of the part of the stem which 

 is above the point of insertion into the 

 moss, but other parts of the stem may be 

 inserted below in any style that fancy 

 may suggest, as a tie, or as extra length. 

 Good use may be made, also, of shoots of 

 new growth, buds, unfurled fern fronds, 

 seed pods, and all such ornamental 

 schemes which accompany the flowers as 

 their natural setting. Eose stalks from 

 which the petals have fallen, leaving the 

 stamens exposed, are very decorative and 



Broken W^reath Made by Mrs. Dietschy, Alton, 111. 



and sharp points which the tips of leaves 

 and flowers form. Learn from this some- 

 thing about the lines to follow in plan- 

 ning a spray. Let there be deep cuts 

 into the body of the spray and there will 

 be no danger of the piece being a solid 

 oval. 



A Justifiable Criticism. 

 "When it comes to the question of the 



make a charming addition to any ar- 

 rangement of roses. 



When Stems Are Too Long. 



When the stems of the flowers are too 

 long for the design to be used, pin them 

 down near the center of the stems, train 

 the flower ends to follow the design lines 

 and keep within its outlines, and allow 

 the lower ends of the stems to flare out 



