March 10, 191». 



The Weekly Florists^ Review* 



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THE RETAIL 



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FLORIST 



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MASONIC DESIGNS. 



The accompanying illustration is pre- 

 pared from photographs of three designs 

 recently made by the Bell Floral Co., for 

 the funeral of a prominent Mason of 

 Franklin, Pa. The designs represent the 

 three different branches of the Masonic 

 body and are of the character often 

 called for in every flower store. And the' 

 average florist finds it an extremely diffi- 

 cult proposition to reproduce society 

 emblems in recognizable form and give 

 his work any artistic quality. For this 

 reason these designs will be specially in- 

 teresting. 



The picture on the right was for the 

 Knights Templar. It represents the blood 

 red cross and golden crown. The cross 

 is easy to achieve; regular in form and 

 can be made of Richmond roses at any 

 time of year. The crown of gold must 

 vary in accordance with the season, and 

 sometimes immortelles are the only yel- 

 low material available. The compass and 

 square is for the Blue Lodge and the 

 Bell concern worked out the figures, one 

 in violets and the other in white roses, 

 backed by the cycas leaves. The keystone 

 is the insignia of the Chapter and is 

 made in white, using any small flowers. 

 The edging of smilax serves to give the 

 design form and the spray of roses is all 

 the embellishment that can safely be 

 added without detracting from the char- 

 acteristic quality of the piece. 



PROBLEMS IN DECORATING. 



Making the Moit of Small Flowers. 



We must often make the best of what 

 is at hand, while we can think of a dozen 

 other things that would be better, but 

 which are not at hand. Among some of 



these diflScult things is to use small flow- 

 ers tellingly in a large building or room. 

 Of course, we must have them in quanti- 

 ties, but even then it takes planning to 

 get any kind of a striking effect. 



For instance, suppose we are to dec- 

 orate a church for a wedding and it is to 

 be a sweet pea wedding. In this case 

 the sweet peas, as ordinarily used in 

 vases or bowls, would amount to nothing 

 at all. Instead, we must plan to display 

 the flowers in masses and yet in such a 

 way that they will be visible from all 

 parts of the building without obstructing 

 the view of the ceremony. In the first 

 place, we must have thousands of them 

 and we must have the ability to work 

 them up quickly, with a decided plan, 

 and with the details well in mind at the 

 beginning. 



The Ball and Garland Decoration. 



To secure something which will be 

 suggestive and dainty enough to conform 

 to the character of the flowers, try a 

 huge ball or a group of balls, with show- 

 ers, which can be attached late to avoid 

 any wilting. The ball should be made 

 suspended and should never be set on any- 

 thing after the flowers have been put in. 

 One good-sized ball is better than a 

 number of small ones, unless they are well 

 grouped from one central point. This 

 point should be well to the front, espe- 

 cially if it is a chancel decoration. Gar- 

 lands of sweet peas on green may be ex- 

 tended to as many and as distant points 

 as the size of the building and the supply 

 of flowers will allow. The garlands should 

 be decidedly heavy, as slender ones are 

 apt to appear stringy at a little distance. 

 After starting from the ball as a center, 

 if the space is wide, catch up the gar- 

 lands one-half or two-thirds of the way 



across and carry them throngl^ a wreath 

 suspended slightly higher than the ball. 

 This wreath may be of the same or a 

 contrasting color, and either solid or 

 blended coloring will best develop the 

 decorative lines. 



Possibly a little explanation may be 

 needed of the term "blended." If, for 

 instance, pink sweet peas of different 

 tints and shades are employed, they 

 should be shaded and painted in from 

 dark to light, rather than mixed indis- 

 criminately. 



The Finishing Touches. 



After passing a group of garlands 

 through the wreath, they may be scat- 

 tered and caught up on the sides of the 

 chancel at convenient distances apart. 

 Care should be taken that they shall 

 terminate at odd lengths, and a pretty 

 finish from the ends of them, as they 

 hang from the points where they are 

 fihally fastened, would be bows of ribbon 

 or chiffon or tiny balls. To complete 

 this decorative scheme, bank the top of 

 the chancel rail along its entire distance,' 

 just high enough to show the flowers 

 from a distance, but not to obscure the 

 view into the chancel. 



Another plan to use this same material 

 would be what might be called a pendant 

 and pedestal effect, which is a collection 

 of baskets or plaques mountod on pedes- 

 tals, with an overhanging basket or bowl, 

 from which a shower extends to the group 

 of flowers below. A shower attached to 

 the lower group, as near the floor as is de- 

 sired, will lengthen the effect. Repeat 

 this design indefinitely, as space will per- 

 mit. 



Other small flowers may be used in 

 much the same way. Among others might 

 be hyacinths, valley, freesias, daffodils 

 and other narcissi. There is no reason 

 why carnations, and other moderate-sized 

 flowers which will work in to good advan- 

 tage in ordinary design work, could not 

 be used in the ball and garland decora- 

 tion. The wreath and the garland alone 

 could be employed with good effect with- 

 out the balls. If the weather is warm, 

 considerable care will be needed to get 

 the flowers in place without showing the 

 effects of the heat, but if it is possible 

 to do so the result will be well worth the 

 extra care and quick work. 



Masonic Designs by the Bell Floral Co., Franklin, Pa. 



