18 



The Weekly Florists^ Review. 



May 16, 1912. 



the retailer's fault, by /liny means. He 

 is charged a high price by his grower 

 or commission man, often for second- 



ratp stock, and has to demand hij 

 prices to come out even. But here « 

 the chance to get the public confidence 

 and to show the people that all florists 

 are not hold-up men. 



Some of the Seasonable Flowers. 



Among the finest Memorial day flow- 

 ers, outside of peonies, are the irises 

 and daffodils. Of the former the Span- 

 ish and English varieties stand out 

 prominently, as they are cheap, yet 

 showy and effective, while nothing con- 

 trasts so finely with laurel and similar 

 decorative material as good yellow daf- 

 fodils. "~^n the south the outdoor car- 

 nations almost take the place of peo- 

 nies, while tulips and other bulbous 

 stock are plentiful and cheap. Here, 

 again, outdoor roses form a great stand- 

 by, and while there may not be much 

 in it for the grower when good Ulrich 

 Bri^nners and Cochets sell for a cent 

 or less, yet it gives the retaUer a good 

 chance ito stock up on flowers that will 

 give every satisfaction to his customers. 



Where Argument May Be Wasted. 



It is a great mistake to stock up on 

 plants not showing flowers. While such 

 plants are undoubtedly far better for 

 bedding out or for planting in ceme- 

 tery vases, people will not buy a pansy, 

 a geranium, a salvia, or, in short, any 

 kin^ of a plant, unless they can see it 

 in bloom. Betailers who are also culti- 

 vators may talk as much as they please 

 and endeavor to show their patrons 

 what is best for the future display they 

 are trying to make, but it is useless. 

 The common people, as the great Amer- 

 ican public is so generally called, are 

 as a rule about as easy to argue with 

 as a baby in arms. It is easier, more 



Honoring the Noted Dead. 

 emoriai -day ii^ a most fitting time 



show portraits, in laurel frames, of 

 ur illustrious past presidents, and such 

 patriotism is always well advised. It 

 can offend no one, nor can any fault be 

 found with it, for respect can be shown 

 to the honored dead without fear of 

 reproach, for they are beyond the reach 

 of politics or other passing whims. 



The detail work of store and of&ce 

 arrangement, delivery and other things 

 is practically the same as for all other 

 special occasions, and there is no need 

 to go over the same ground so recently 

 covered for Easter. 



DESIGNS FOB MEMOBIAL DAY. 



Some Camping Scenes. 



Incident to the spirit of the day are 

 many emblems which, when represented 

 in flowers or combined with them, ex- 

 press the finer sentiments which. were 

 woven through the great struggle. 

 Were we "tenting tonight on the old 

 camp ground, ' ' we would • imagine a 

 stack of . rusty guns, half hidden by 

 overgrowing rose briers and ferns. Ta 

 express our gratification that the hor- 

 rors of war are long p9.st, we would 

 mount a dove on the stack and place 

 in its beak the peerless colors of free- 

 dom. This is a good design for win- 

 dow, memorial meeting or cemetery. 



Eor another camping scene, fill your 

 window with bedding plants in bright, 

 harmonious colors and erect a chiffon 

 tent, and beside it a stack of guns. In 

 the crotch set a soldier's cap filled with 

 flowers, as if it were a basket. 



An Artillery Wagon. 



An artillery wagon or mounted gun, 

 all in flowers, is a more imposing de- 



Plant Room of the Rosebud Greenhouses, Newton, Kan. 



profitable, and better from all points of 

 view, to let customers have their own 

 way. Florists are not philanthropists 

 or educators of the public, any more 

 than people in any other line of busi- 

 ness, no matter what our convention 

 orators may say, and it is better to 

 show and to sell what the public de- 

 mands than to keep what we, think it 

 ought to want. 



sign for the same purpose. Make the 

 wheels of some one color, all alike. 

 Cheap flowers will do, if they are only 

 solid enough to make a distinct out- 

 line and a smooth surface. Work out 

 as is done for a broken wheel, indicat- 

 ing the spokes and hubs distinctly. If 

 the whole wagon is to be made, have 

 the ammunition box, axles and stock 

 of one color, contrasting with the / 



wheels. Work out the gun solidly and 

 undecorated. If the ammunition box 

 is large enough, decorate with a small 

 flag on the side, preferably of flowers, 

 or with the letters " U. S. " The piece 

 should be as large as the window will 

 permit and should be the sole exhibit, 

 unless it be a few blooming plants 

 grouped closely^ with the ppts hi?lden. 



A Miniature Monitor. 



Maybe a miniature Monitor won't 

 bring half the town to your window! 

 Make the "raft" of pansies — yellow 

 and bronze for the deck floor and pur- 

 ple on the, edges of the shallow sides. 

 Make the "cheese-box" solid "with 

 white carnations or tHeir like, and the' 

 smokestack of darker pansies. Don't 

 forget the flags, fore and aft and on 

 the tilrret. Make this to occupy the- 

 whole window. 



Among other designs for the same 

 purpose is a scroll in vertical stripes,, 

 red, white and blue, the stripes fol- 

 lowing the roll above and below; about 

 the center set in a picture of Abraham 

 Lincoln, with the date of th« emanci- 

 pation proclamation. 



Illustrating War Songs. 



Or you might make a plain scroll 

 in scarlet, blue or lyhite, with an in- 

 scription from the chorus of the "Bat- 

 tle Hymn of the Bepublic," set in a 

 window of low growing plants of a 

 contrasting color. Or you might have 

 a landscape scene representing ." March- 

 ing Through Georgia" — a cabin over- 

 shadowed by groups of jasmine and 

 roses, a dusty road, a company of tin 

 soldiers approaching, etc.; you know 

 the rest. 



So much for special designs; now 

 for ^decorating things patriotic — a flag- 

 staff, for instance. Bank about the^ 

 base a dignified group of palms, lily 

 plants, ribbon grass and Crimson Bam- 

 blers. Train the ramblers high onto 

 the pole. To the eyelets of the flag 

 attach several garlands or streamers 

 of bright flowers, which will rise with 

 the flag and wave with it in the breeze. 



Decorating Autos or Floats. 



For the decoration of an auto or float 

 for the parade: Canopy or umbrella 

 top of magnolia leaves, with streamer* 

 of flower-laden smilax sprays and flag 

 ribbon; bow at top or hung from ends 

 of the ribs; float proper, or box of 

 vehicle, of lilacs; front of snowballs; 

 wheels of smilax. 



Another: Let the center of the float 

 be occupied by a large floral urn in 

 pansies or white carnations. Fill the 

 urn with American Beauties or palm 

 leaves. Attached to the handles by 

 ribbon streamers are groups of small 

 baskets filled with flowers, which are- 

 to be removed and used for decorating 

 when the services are over. Branches 

 of flowering almond, lilac or syringa 

 might also be placed in the urn. At 

 any rate, these flowers should be of 

 contrasting color to that of the urn. 



To Be Oast on the Waters. 



' Memorials to sailors and those lost 

 at sea, consisting of flowers to be cast 

 on the waters, are prepared best in the 

 form of garlands or wreaths. Make 

 the garlands several yards long, of 

 smilax, asparagus, myrtle or other light 

 vine. For the more elaborate ones tie 

 several garlands together, crossed at 

 the center of each. Finish the end» 



