May 4, 1911. 



The Weekly Florists^ Review* 



9 



i 



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MOTHERS' DAY 

 PREPARATIONS 



i 



THE TRADE GETS READY. 



Ordering Plenty of Stock, 



Since last week 's issue of The Review 

 reached the trade, wholesale florists all 

 over "the country have had a steadily 

 increasing number of inquiries and 

 orders for special supplies for Mothers' 

 day. It is apparent that the retail 

 florists everywhere are preparing for a 

 greatly increased demand, excellent as 

 was the business for Mothers' day last 

 year. 



It is right and proper that retailers 

 should assure themselves of adequate 

 supplies for this, the same as for other 

 special flower days. But one thing 

 should not be overlooked: Mothers 'day 

 is not an old and well established 

 flower day, like Easter or Decoration 

 day; Mothers' day is in its infancy, so 

 to speak, and the public, proverbially 

 short-minded, may forget ' * to honor the 

 best mother who ever lived — your 

 own," unless reminded of it. 



Don't Take Chances. 



He is either a venturesome or a 

 short-minded retailer who stocks up 

 heavily for Mothers' day and does 

 nothing to bring the day to public 

 notice. 



The Mothers' day advertising done 

 last year will bear fruit again next 

 week, but don't trust to that. Employ 

 whatever form of advertising you have 

 found best suited to your local needs, 

 but by all means do something to 

 bring Mothers' day to the attention of 

 your customers. 



The best way to boost Mothers' day 

 is to advertise it in the daily papers. 

 A lot of mayors and governors have 

 issued proclamations, but a good many 

 of them have neglected to mention the 

 wearing of flowers, or their use in 

 Mothers' day decorations. That is up 

 to the florists. If your ingenuity is 

 equal to a special Mothers' day win- 

 dow decoration, put it on, and at least 

 get some nicely lettered display cards 

 for both store and window. 



Push All Kinds of Flowers. 



The momentum gained in the last 

 couple of years and the fresh impetus 

 given by the Mothers' day proclama- 

 tions insure a demand for more white 

 carnations than it will be possible to 

 supply. Mothers' day is not an oc- 

 casion which will stand high prices; 

 indeed, the greatest danger lies in too 

 great an increase in values. Therefore 

 it is necessary for everyone to do his 

 part toward turning the demand, not 

 away from white carnations, but to 

 include other colors and other flowers. 

 Wo do not want a Mothers' day cir- 

 cumscribed by the limited possibilities 

 of supplying white carnations. To 

 have its full value to the trade the use 

 of every flower must be appropriate to 

 Mothers' day. Of course it is easier 

 to work along the lines of least resist- 

 ance and sell everyone white carnations 



as long as they last, but after that we 



either have to shut up shop or sell the 



people something else. Might as well 



begin at the beginning and push colored 



stock; sell it wherever you can, but 



give them white when they will not 



take anything else. 



White flowers for Mother's memory. 

 Hright Mowers for Mothers living. " 



Let that phrase appear in all your 

 Mothers' day publicity. Those who 

 tried it last year found that it worked 

 finely. See the letters on page 8 of last 

 week's Review. Here is what a Wis- 

 consin florist says, and his experience 

 ia typical of all: 



"I went to our mayor and he issued 



a proclamation for Mothers' day, in 



which he recommended the wearing of 



A white flower for Mother's memory. 

 A brljght flower for Mothers living. 



"I also went to nearly every pastor 

 in town, and they all had something to 

 say about Mothers' day. Now, in re- 

 gard to business: Every florist in town 

 stocked heavily, but by 2 p. m. every- 

 thing was gone; we could have sold 

 more. Colored carnations sold as well 

 as white." 



MOTHERS' DAY SAI£S. 



Mothers' day thus far principally 

 has called for flowers for boutonnieres. 

 But last year — 



Churches were decorated. 



Sunday schools gave a flower to each 

 child who attended. 



Street car companies gave a flower 

 to every conductor and motorman. • 



G. A. R. posts and other organiza- 

 tions attended church in a body, each 

 person wearing a flower. 



Bouquets were sent to mother. 



Homes were decorated. 



Wreaths and small flat crosses were 

 sent to the cemeteries. 



The Mothers' day business can be 

 worked up along a dozen different 

 profitable lines. 



DISBUDDING PEONIES. 



Kindly let me know if it will pay to 

 disbud peonies. I have some with four 

 and five buds on a plant. Should I let 

 them bloom as they are? C. M. T. 



It certainly pays to disbud peonies. 

 Remove all except the large central 

 bud. This should be done as soon as 

 possible after the buds show them- 

 selves. You can somewhat prolong the 

 flowering season by taking out the 

 central bud and leaving one or more 

 of the side buds. These will not pro- 

 duce quite as large blooms as the cen- 

 tral bud, but frequently late flowers are 

 more valuable than the earlier ones. 



The peony is like any other flower ; the 

 better it is grown the better it sells. 



C. W. 



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THE RETAIL 



FLORIST 



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AN IRIS STUDY. 



Unique and Welcome Flowers. 



Since its season is short, the iris 

 is welcome and useful in many designs. 

 Its colors, especially the lavenders, and 

 its irregularity and oddity of shape, 

 (Jistinguish it from all other flowers. 

 Like others of its type, it is usually 

 better "alone with its glory" and its 

 foliage; yet, if a flower can be found 

 which resembles it closely, a delight- 

 ful combination may be presented. 



Let us consider what stock might be 

 available — for use with the early varie- 

 ties of iris, for instance — and make our 

 choice. There would be callas, Easter 

 lilies, candidums, lilacs, carnations, 

 roses, snapdragons, stocks, hyacinths, 

 tulips, daffodils, fruit blossoms, tree 

 catkins, violets, peas, freesias, pansies, 

 Bride gladioli, etc. 



Of the flowers in that list, which 

 shall be chosen as the best to combine 

 with the iris and how shall our choice 

 be determined! Here is a formula that 

 will help, not only in this case, but in 

 any proposed combination of flowers: 

 First — Flowers to be combined in 

 equally important positions in a design 

 — using this word in its widest appli- 

 cation, that of any arrangement of 



flowers — should be of about the same 

 size, form, and length of stem. Second 

 — They should be of harmonious colors. 

 Third — They should be of the same 

 general order of plants; for example, 

 endogens, or the non-branching, parallel 

 veined plants, as grasses and most 

 bulbs. 



Fit Companions for the Iris. 



Applying this test to any combina- 

 tion which it is proposed to make, we 

 shall see how it will work with the 

 iris and the other flowers in the fore- 

 going list. The calla — About the same 

 size, form and length of stem? Yes. 

 Harmonious color? Yes. Same general 

 order of plants? Yes. Then we have 

 found this a good combination. Easter 

 lilies and candidums also answer the 

 formula favorably. 



Here come lilacs next. About same 

 size? No. Form? No. Length of 

 stem? Yes. Harmonious in color? 

 Yes. Same general class? No. The 

 noes have it; not the best of combina- 

 tions, but not particularly objection- 

 able. Roses and carnations will be 

 found in about the same class. 



Hyacinths — About the same size? 

 Yes. Form? No. Length of stem? 

 No. Harmonious in color? Yes. Same 



