Skptembbb 7, 1911. 



The Weekly Florists' Review. 



11 



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THE RETAIL 



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LETTESINa ON DESIGNS. 



. One of the problems frequently put 

 up to a retail florist is to meet the re- 

 quirements of a customer in the matter 

 of lettering a funeral design without 

 doing too great violence to the can- 

 ons of good taste. Frequently the 

 customer demands that which is impos- 

 sible of execution without ruining the 

 artistic qualities of the design. It was 

 so in the instance of the wreath on 

 easel shown in the accompanying illus- 

 tration. This design was made by the 

 Quakertown Plant Co., Quakertowu, 

 Pa., and is excellent in every respect 

 save the far too prominent lettering 

 on the chiffon streamer, though the 

 design would have been still better had 

 the easel been wound with asparagus 

 or smilax. Just why a man should in- 

 sist on "My Dear Wife" in the big- 

 gest letters possible is hard to com- 

 prehend, but it is easy enough to un- 

 derstand what the florist must do in 

 such a case, for if nothing less will 

 satisfy the customer, the florist must 

 accede. But as a general proposition 

 lettering on the ribbon « to be depre- 

 cated, and never encouraged unless the 

 piece is a large one, such as often is 

 sent by lodges or through the contribu- 

 tions of fellow employees. Where let- 

 tering is demanded on the ribbon, it 

 really should be ribbon and not chiffon. 

 Big, bold letters are in as bad taste as 

 to« small ones are ineffective. Where 

 lettering is demanded the florist should 

 seek to keep it, not only within few 

 w^ords, but those few from becoming 

 the most conspicuous feature of. the de- 

 sign. On a wreath or a spray there is 

 no place for lettering; on these funeral 

 flowers no more than a card should be 

 used. 



HINTS FOB BEOINNEBS. 



First Principles in Designing. 

 While floral designing as a whole is 

 a vast and complex subject, simplicity 

 is one of its cardinal virtues. While 

 there is a picture in every petal and 

 an art gallery in every plant, a single 

 feature of a decoration should be as 

 much of a unit as a cherry tree in 

 bloom. While there is infinite variety 

 in design forms and color tones, each 

 is framed after an evident plan; so, 

 with some one idea in mind, a spray 

 or design need never be a clod. If 

 the ideas must needs come from some- 

 body else's work first, they need not 

 end there. As soon as one learns to 

 see design forms in leaves, in petals, 

 in plants, so soon can he fix on a de- 

 sign mentally and proceed to execute 

 it. Then he is beginning to "live, 

 move and have a being." But as to 

 where to use these forms and combina- 

 tions, his judgment must be matured 

 enough to dictate. 



The Art of Letting Alone. 



Uncertain as to his claims to a place 

 in his «ho8en world, a beginner gets 



fussy over a finished design or spray, 

 not because he sees faults, but because 

 it looks "funny." But do not pick 

 amd fuss. If a flower stem looks a lit- 

 tle contrary, let it alone, and you -have 

 learned an important lesson. This art 

 of "letting alone" is one of the high 

 accomplishments of a thorough artist. 

 To let flowers have their own way, and 

 grip them at it, spells an artist's de- 

 sign. To give them a chance to place 

 themselves so that they can direct their 



together, do not fuss or change unless 

 you have a good reason for doing so, 

 or a demand frpm a purchaser. 



Moderation in Use of Greens. 



.\ beginner is prone to fancy that 

 he can not get along without a great 

 lot of green in sprays. The more you 

 can do with a little, the greater is the 

 evidence of your progress. Do not use 

 half a gross of ferns for a fair sized 

 casket bouquet. Do not think you must 

 have a whole mound under a spray, 

 to avoid flatness. Train the rose stems 

 to Jiold themselves, either by their own 

 strength or by wiring. Catching and 

 fastening them at the base of the 

 stems is the best help to this end. As 

 a rule, the flowers should incline up- 

 ward, but not all at the same angle or 

 distance apart. The best ground for 

 a casket bunch is its own foliage, and 

 more of it. Wanting this, use ferns 

 or other foliage sparingly. Unless their 

 stems are extremely long and heavy, 

 large sfirays of roses, carnations or 



An Example of Too Conspicuous and Misplaced Inscription. 



own course is the best preparation for 

 the "letting alone" practice. This is 

 true of all spray arrangements and of 

 the strictly decorative parts of a fu- 

 neral piece, such as the spray on a 

 solid pillow, the shower on a cascade 

 wreath, or the trim on the base of a 

 standing piece. After getting a spray 



lilies need a^./€liin support of brushy 

 foliage. ^ 



Odds aJid Ends of Materials. 



Do not think, because you lack th"e 

 orthodox material with which to cover 

 a design, that it can not be made. 

 Some of the best and most pleasing 



