The Weekly Florists^ Review* 



Ai(;i ST 1.M1, I'.tOO. 



member are: Do not propaf^ate too 

 .early; j)]ant in clear saiul; never siiade, 

 and water sparingly until rooted. 



W. N. c:kai<;. 



SPIRAEAS FOR MARKET. 



Are spira'as sold as ctit spikes' Are 

 they i're(> sell(>rs and at what ])riee ])er 

 spike, and what \arieties are best sell- 

 ers? C. B. 



Spira'a is not sohl to any considerahle 



extent as a eut Hower, except at Easier 

 or ^leniorial day. I'robably more are 

 disposed of at the latter holiday than any 

 other time. It cannot bo recommended as 

 a market flower, on account of its Avilting 

 so soon when out of water. Prices vary 

 from $1 to $4 ])er hundred, a fair aver- 

 ago being $2, the higher j)rices being so- 

 cured only on special occasions. The old 

 S. Japonica is a good deal grown, but 

 comjiacta grandiflora, (iladstono and astil- 

 boi(h's make nuudi finer spikes. (*. ^V. 



I 



K<*^.'»^.<»^. ••UcPiU^''^i9i 



THE RETAIL 



FLORIST 



•fer»)'fer»)'-^ 



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SUMMER TABLE DECORATIONS. 



One of the most important items in 

 the leading reUiil llower .stores, especially 

 those in the Ix'tter elass residence sec 

 tions of the big cities, is the arrangement 

 of llowcrs on dinner tal>les. The hostess 

 of means no more thinks of having guests 

 at diiuifr without flowers than she would 

 ])ermit tlietu to sit down at a taiilc witli 

 out ap|)etizing \iand.s. .Naturally the de- 

 mand for dinner llowers is greater in the 

 social season than in the summer, hut all 

 the year around there is moi'e or less of 

 this business, and it (lenunids the b(>st 

 efforts of the Horist. 



Siniplii-ity nuist be the c-liarai-terist ic 

 of a summer decoration. In hot weatiicr 

 no (me wants high (U- elaborate center 

 jiieces; they must be low and .-impir. yd 

 artistic. 



Jn (UU' of the acconipaiiyi ng illuslri 

 tions. where the florist had done his work 

 before the cateicr took (diarge. tlie large 

 round table had in the center a low. ir 

 regularly edged glass liowl fill(>d with 

 ])ink pond lilies, and triangularly spaced 



about midway to the edge of the table 

 were vases of valley, with Farleyense 

 fronds. The vases used were th(> basket 

 .shajied glass ones now handled l)y prac- 

 tically all the supply houses. This dec 

 oration was both simjde and ine.xpensi\ c, 

 but it filled tlu> bill to a nicety. 



The centerpiece in the other ilbistra 

 tiou was sonu'what different in (diarac 

 ter. The recepta(des wiuc on the order 

 of the glass article used Avith the 

 japana flower holder once widl known 

 in the trade, but these were of finest 

 (diina, pure white with gold decora- 

 tions, light and grac(>ful. The ware comes 

 in sections, so all the Ihu'ist has to do 

 is to grouj) as many ]iieces as he r(M)uires 

 for the space Jind stock. In this case the 

 low, curve(l seiitions were filled with (udy 

 slightly damp, (dean, green moss, and 

 the nniss Iti turn was stuck full of Shasta 

 daisies, on whi(di the stems had been 

 nundi shortened. The tall, urn-like little 

 vases whi(di .join the sections contained 

 marigolds with Farleyense fronds. 



Nowadavs no one of discriminating 



taste will stand for the overhead decora 

 tion.s of bygone days, which intercept the 

 view across the table. It behooves all 

 retail florists who are called upon to do 

 dinner work to have a stock of vases and 

 bowls for low work. The greater the 

 variety, and all the supply houses now 

 offer a wide range of choice, the easier 

 it will b(( to make each centerpiece dis 

 tinctive and satisfactory to the customer. 



MECHANICAL AIDS IN DESIGNING 



The Tools of the Trade. 



Not to mention ordinary supplies, such 

 as wire frames, mosses, vases, jars, plant 

 stands, jardinieres, baskets and other 

 things necessary for the handling and 

 display of flowers, which the suii[)ly 

 houses offer and exploit, there are a few 

 tools tiiat are needed in floral work. 



l''irst, of course, are the inevitable 

 scissors and wire. About three or four 

 sizes in shears are needed — large wire 

 cutteis, a medium heavy shears for bou- 

 (piet wire and stems, and ribbon scissors. 

 Wire for ordinary i)ur[)0ses ranges from 

 Xo. 21 to Xo. ;it). A stone of No. 'M\ 

 will last a long tinu'. if taken off uncut 

 and kept in small coils. The remainder 

 of the stone sin)ul(l he wrapped up, as 

 the moisture from the air may be enough 

 to rust it. This fine wire is tlu' thing 

 for shower effects without ribbon, for 

 fine garlaiuls, chffins of snuill tlowers and 

 very dainty work where the flowers ar(^ 

 not stemmed. Wire from No. lil to No. 

 '2ii, cid in Jl'-incli and JS-jnch lengths, 

 covers the demands for tying and wiring 

 stems. Of course, for hanging baskets or 

 altering design frames, a heavier wire 

 nnist be used. 



A few carpenter's tools, for making 

 jiacking boxes, nuist also be at hand. 



Wire snips, extra easels, including 

 sonu' square ones of different sizes, and 

 bases for mounting j)ieces originally 

 intended to be flat, are often called 

 for. A base may Ije too small for the 

 special arrangomont you have planned 

 for a ])ieee, or a design may have too tall 

 a standard, or some other faulty frame 

 construction mav need to be remotlied 



Shasta Daisies and Marigolds for a Summer Table Deccration. 



