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The Weddy Florists* Review. 



JUNB 29, ittll. 



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THE RETAIL 





I'^^^ci^)^^' FLORIST...... 



A SUMMER SELLEB. 



The florist with the empty store in 

 summer also is the one with the empty 

 cash-drawer. Of course summer is a 

 quiet season, but it is neither necessary 

 nor wise to shut up shop. Keep the 

 store looking fresh and attractive and 

 there will be visitors; carry some 

 bright, clean stock and there will be 

 buyers. No need at all to let things 

 run down to just funeral work. 



For example, more fern dishes can 

 be sold in summer than are sold in 

 winter, especially in the cities, where 

 people do not have gardens. The flat- 

 dwellers want something for the table 

 and the fern dish takes the place of 

 the cut flowers that are none too good 

 in summer. 



Nearly all flower stores in residence 

 districts have facilities for filling fern 

 dishes for their customers; they have 

 to have,^for the demand is steady and 

 valued customers will go elsewhere if 

 not taken care of on this need and, 

 besides, there is a good profit in it. 

 Most florists, too, now sell fern dishes, 

 but how often does the florist show 

 fern dishes, filled, ready for sale! Not 

 often. And still less frequently does 

 one see a flower store making a special 

 drive on fern dishes, the way the candy 

 store next door always is doing with 

 one thing or another. 



Fern dishes, nicely filled, will sell if 

 they are shown, not only in winter but 

 in summer, and the duller trade is the 

 more time the florist has to think up 

 plans for attracting special attention 

 to his shop. 



NASTURTIUM NOTIONS. 



Fine Effects at Slight Cost. 



With a flower that blooms so easily 

 •from June to October and can be sold 

 so cheaply as nasturtiums, there is a 

 good opportunity to realize on decora- 

 tive work and improve on a reputation 

 in that line also. With the fluwers 

 obtainable by the thousand and leaves 

 by the ten thousand, with buds thrown 

 in, the most striking and handsome 

 effects, as well as dainty and cunning 

 arrangements, can be devised. 



Neither need there be a stop at 

 flowers and foliage, for in many places 

 entire plants and beds of them can be 

 transplanted and remain in good shape 

 for a series of functions lasting through 

 several days. There is a growing tend- 

 ency to use live plants in this way, 

 and it is a long stride in the right 

 direction. Many times we strive to 

 produce the effect of growing plants 

 with cut flowers and foliage, and here 

 is the whole to be had for the mere 

 transplanting. Not only for decorating 

 private residences, but also for the 

 hotel and restaurant trade, this prac- 

 tice ought to be encouraged. Better 

 (results from an artistic standpoint, 

 and benefits which are more lasting, I 



are the best of inducements along this 

 line. When once a taste for helps like 

 this is established in the summer by 

 the use of cheaper flowers, there will 

 be a stronger inclination to keep it up 

 during the rest of the year, even at a 

 higher rate for greenhouse flowers. 



Unaided by Other Flowers. 



The charm of this flower appears in 

 a surprisingly large number of ways, if 

 developed by liberal designing. There 

 is scarcely any other flower which in 

 combination will add to the attraction 

 of nasturtiums. White and the orange 

 salmon sweet peas or marguerites 

 might be tolerated, but without feeling 

 or reason. Marigolds or zinnias, being 

 unlike in habit, would be in decidedly 

 bad taste. There are soft browns and 

 creams which, so far as color goes, 

 would fill the bill in numbers of other 

 flowers, but not in the way of form 

 harmony. Water lilies in yellow and 

 cream might be used in the same room, 

 but not so well in direct combination; 

 for instance, in a dining-room nastur- 

 tiums may be used for the table and the 

 water lilies for sideboard or mantel. 



The fine range of unusual colors in 

 the nasturtium is another important 

 element in its usefulness. Yellow is a 

 much wanted color, and difficult to find 

 in anything like a tempting variety. 



The rich yellows, oranges and salm- 

 ons, and the trailing habit of the nas- 



turtiums, are best developed by the use 

 of bark or rock backgrounds and other 

 rustic settings. Twig and bark boxes 

 are available in dark green, red, brown 

 and gray, such as are found in cedar, 

 cork or birch bark, as well as in the 

 dark brown bark. Bases covered with 

 the twig or bark and equipped with 

 pans can be made to fit mantel shelves, 

 window sills, sideboards, plate rails and 

 all such places. 



A Bower of Trailing Vines. 



A dining-room can be made into a 

 bower of trailing vines in this way. 

 Panels of bark can be hung from the 

 picture molding at convenient intervals 

 around a room. Little pockets which 

 will hold Kift vases or other small 

 receptacles can be made in these panels. 

 The pockets will" hold several long 

 branches containing flowers and foliage 

 too, with buds. These nasturtium and 

 bark panels, alternating with the plain 

 panels of the wall and extending nearly 

 to the floor, will make a study for a 

 fresco artist as well as a floral decora- 

 tion. The long vines will exist on the 

 small allowance of water -which is 

 tucked away in the pockets of the 

 panels — which could not be said of 

 stems of woodier structure. Touches 

 of ferns of the smaller variety might 

 be added with good effect. This scheme 

 of decoration is well adapted to a 

 store or banquet hall, too. G. B. 



PULLING IN THE PUBLIC. 



How a Denver Retailer Did It. 



A few months ago the people of Den- 

 ver were aroused by a novel advertis- 

 ing scheme, announced by the Park 

 Floral Co. Indeed, aroused is hardly 

 a strong enough word to use, especially 

 as regards the other florists of Denver. 

 Not only was the undertaking of the 

 Park Floral Co. unique in character, 

 but it came at a season when most 



Show WeU-filled Fern Dishes and They WiU SelL 



