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Septembeb 28, IQll. 



The Weekly Florists' Review. 



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I THE RETAIL 

 l':^^^^®!* FLORIST 



I 



CROWNED KING OF FLOATS. 



The decorating of automobiles has be- 

 come one of the regular and important 

 parts of the retail flower business, but 

 it is one of the classes of work in which 

 the development is not so rapid as it 

 was expected to be, for the reason that 

 it takes a great deal of stock to do a 

 creditable job and many people who 

 get estimates on decorating a big tour- 

 ing car with natural flowers find the 

 cost is more than they wish to spend. 

 The florist cannot do much for the man 

 who wants to pay for covering a car 

 what would be the cost of a really good 

 bouquet for a bride, and there are many 

 such. The accompanying illustration, 

 however, shows what can be done when 

 sufficient expense is incurred. It is a 

 machine decorated by Brown Bros, 

 Vancouver, B. C, for a parade that 

 was a feature of a recent ' ' made in 

 Canada" fair in that city. It took 

 first prize in a line of floats that was 

 three miles long, all autos more or less 

 embellished. The principal interest at- 

 taches to the list of stock used. The 

 first item was 6,000 Enchantress car- 

 nations, but there were 1,800 arti- 

 ficial roses. Two bales of moss were 

 required for the frame of the crown, 

 with quantities of cotton batting, rib- 

 bon, chiffon, etc. Another point that 

 must not be overlooked in estimating 

 on such a job is the work required. The 

 frame was eight feet long, six feet 

 wide and eight feet high. When in 

 position it stood twelve feet above the 

 ground. Every floWer had to be wired 

 on, so that none would shake off in the 

 journey of twelve miles. That the 

 labor represented a goodly number of 

 dollars no florist who is accustomed to 

 the making of funeral designs will fail 

 to appreciate, but just how much work 

 it is only those who have tried it can 

 tell. ,_ 



TRIMMING AND WRAPPING. 



To Add to the Value of Plants. 



Taking for granted that the plants 

 have reached the store in clean pots, 

 that overripe foliage has been removed 

 and they are trim and neat generally, 

 we will consider what may be done 

 or left undone to increase their value 

 to the prospective buyer. At the same 

 time we are happy to live in an age 

 when common sense taboos sensational 

 ornament as vulgar taste. Mayhap a 

 touch will serve to develop the beauty 

 of form and color with which the Mas- 

 ter Artist has already endowed the 

 plants. 



To provide a low-priced, neat and 

 tasteful pot cover has cost us all more 

 than one gray hair. Yes, the water- 

 proof paper is a good makeshift, but 

 only the first step to an economical 

 and artistic cover. While nothing more 

 tasteful and practical has yet been 

 suggested than basket covers and bark, 

 these are too expensive for small 



plants. For larger plants they can be 

 afforded, as well as mats and palm 

 fibers. 

 In order to give perfect satisfaction 

 to the customer, a pot cover ought to 

 last at least as long as an ordinary 

 blooming plant. But it is often loose 

 and disordered by the time the plant 

 is delivered, and this without justly 

 attaching any blame to the delivery 

 man. Better send a plant in a clean, 

 bare pot than in a rumpled cover. 

 Therefore, up to the present writing, 

 it behooves the salesman to urge the 

 purchase of a better cover, which will 

 outlast several plants. 



Judicious Use of Ribbon. 



Really, now, is it an insult to tie a 

 ribbon on a self-respecting plant, or 

 is it possible to add to its beauty? It 

 all depends upon the how, the why and 

 the where. For instance, if there is 

 an azalea partly out of bloom or im- 

 perfectly flowered, a reasonable deco- 

 ration, which harmonizes in style and 

 color with the flower, is allowable and 

 even commendable. 



A handle basket may be an addition 

 to a tall, frail plant, or one which is 

 inclined to vine. The basket covers 



while in reality they are held in plac6 

 by fine wires attached below. 



An araucaria, belonging to the coni- 

 fers, may be properly decorated with 

 small cones attached to the tips of the 

 leaves, and the gaiety of the Christ- 

 mas season seems to permit narrow red 

 ribbon to tie the cones with; or a 

 scarlet whorl of chiffon, after the shape 

 of the foliage, may find a place be- 

 tween the green whorls. A fancy ever- 

 green, too, seems to lend itself grace- 

 fully to a bunch of scarlet berries, to 

 hang over the pot or half hide itself 

 among the foliage. But do not be 

 tempted to load plants with toggery 

 or fluffy-ruffles petticoats. 



Various Artistic Touches. 



Certain plants leave much of the soil 

 exposed, mostly by reason of special 

 training, as in the case of azaleas and 

 standard roses and chrysanthemums. ' 

 These should be treated with a little 

 lycopodium on moss over the soil, not 

 covering it> so thickly, however, as to 

 interfere with proper watering. 



Some plants, such as cyclamens, 

 azaleas, lilies, mums, etc., may be en- 

 hanced in value by laying a simple 

 bunch of violets, pansies, forget-me- 

 nots, or something else sufficiently 

 dainty, over the envelope which con- 

 tains the card. 



The stationery that accompanies a 

 gift plant should represent the self- 

 respect of both donor and dealer. 

 Whether it is the sender's personal 

 card or one obtained from the dealer, 

 let it be of good quality and always 

 enclosed in an addressed envelope to 

 match, punched and neatly but se- 

 curely tied to the plant inside of the 

 wrapping. 



Decoratios an Automobile Costs Much in Stock and Labor. 



the pot and the handle serves as a sup- 

 port or a trellis, and the point where 

 the plant is bound to this trellis may 

 be a place for a modest cord or ribbon 

 tie. Again, a rigidly formal plant may 

 be made more attractive by the addi- 

 tion of a chiffon butterfly or two, ap- 

 parently hovering over the flowers, 



Wrapping Neatly and Safely. 



While we always expect to line a 

 box of flowers with oil paper, we for- 

 get that a plant requires just as dainty 

 a wrapping. After the branches have 

 been tied together with raffia, the 

 plants should have a separate wrap- 

 ping of oil paper, pot and all. Lay 



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