18 



The Florists' Review 



May 7, 1914. 



CARPET BEDDING 

 ON GRAVES 



WO years ago The Eeview 

 undertook to give its read- 

 ers soiTie suggestions on 

 carpet bedding in ceme- 

 teries and published two 



articles on the subject, 



illustrated with reproductions of photo- 

 graphs taken at Rosehill cemetery, Chi- 

 cago. The articles aroused an unex- 

 pected degree of interest, as was proved 

 J9J»'ii '^ by the strong expressions of appreeia- 

 ^5^i*ioii that reached The Review from 

 '-' " time to time. Hence this additional 

 article is offered, with five new illus- 

 trations procured from the same source 

 as the former ones. All of the beds 

 shown in the pictures, both now and 

 two years ago, were designed and 

 planted by John Fruetz, in charge of 

 that department of the work at Eose- 

 hill. 



It is hoped that the present article 

 ■will "he timely for a large proportion 

 •of the readers. Though carpet bedding 

 is not carried on to any great extent at 

 Rosehill until June, the season begins 

 at various earlier dates, of course, in 

 some other latitudes. If any carpet 

 bedding is done at Rosehill during 

 May, it is done at the customer's risk, 

 while the planting done in June is 

 guaranteed. It is hardly necessary to 

 state that alternantheras, the plants 

 mbst largely used in carpet bedding, 

 are easily injured by a chilly atmos- 



phere. However, they are not delicate 

 in other respects or particularly finical 

 or fussy about the treatment they re- 

 ceive, but are easily grown. They need 

 only a fairly nourishing soil. If the 

 soil is too rich and the weather is 

 warm and rainy, they may grow/, so 

 fast that it will be difficult to Keep 

 them within proper bounds and the 

 beautiful markings of the leaves may 

 not show to the best advantage. 



Is Carpet Bedding Too Artificial? 



As to the question whether carpet 

 bedding in general, as compared with 

 other styles of planting, is in good or 

 bad taste, is gracefully artistic or gro- 

 tesquely artificial, the practical florist 

 does not need to concern himself seri- 

 ously with that discussion. The com- 

 mercial florist, though he may be, and 

 should be, an educator and reformer, is 

 a florist first and a reformer afterward. 

 He is in the trade primarily with the 

 view of making a living, plus as maii'y 

 of life 's comforts as possible, and not 

 for the express purpose of reforming 

 other people's tastes by sacrificing his 

 own profits. It is not the aim of his 

 life to be a martyr. 



Besides, that carpet bedding is .in at 

 least tolerably good taste is indicated 

 by the fact that many people of even 

 the most eminently respectable and 

 refined appearance, when visiting the 



public parks, are prone to linger long 

 beside the carpet beds and view them 

 admiringly. Carpet ' bedding still has 

 a good hold on life, though many self- 

 appointed judges have pronounced its 

 death sentence by saying that it is un- 

 natural as well as expensive. 



Moreover, for the comparatively 

 small spaees that are usually to.be cov- 

 ered with plants in cemetesles, carpet 

 bedding is particularly suitable, since 

 the plants used are tiny, tidy and trim, 

 and also endure such pinching and 

 shearing as are necessary to keep them 

 within the narrow limits allowed them. 



Is It Too Expensive? 



Of course, carpet bedding is expen- 

 sive, as it requires the use of an espe- 

 cially large number of plants, but that 

 is no reason why such work should not 

 be undertaken when a good opportunity 

 occurs; nor is it any reason ysrhy at 

 least a fair profit should not be real- 

 ized. Indeed, since the work is ad- 

 mittedly costly and necessitates the out- 

 lay of a little more of the florist's cap- 

 ital than is needed in other forms of 

 bedding, the profit ought to be propor- 

 tionately greater, and the large profit 

 derived from a high-class, high-priced 

 job may be less discernible or annoy- 

 ing to the customer than the small 

 profit from a cheaper job. No doubt, 

 the risk also is greater in handling 





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A Blanket Design in Carpet Bedding for Use on Two Graves. 



