MAY 30. 1912. 



The Weekly Florists' Review. 



9 



WREATH FOR » 

 » CRITICISM 



THE MARTYEDOM CONTINUED. 



Another Design for Criticism. 



Some time ago a subscriber sent sev- 

 eral photographs to The Eeview, with 

 the statement that the designs shown in 

 the photographs were samples of his 

 work and that he would be pleased to 

 have them criticised. One of the de- 

 signs, with criticisms by four experts, 

 was presented in The Keview of May 

 •9; another design, a wreath of galax 

 and carnations, receives similar com- 

 ment in this issue. 



The maker of the designs, being so 

 good-natured and majgnanimous as to 

 submit the photographs for such a pur- 

 pose, is undoubtedly receiving the crit- 

 icisms in the same good-natured, un- 

 ruffled spirit, perhaps remarking: "I 

 am getting what I asked for — honest 

 criticism, whether it is entirely just or 

 not, and I have neither the right nor 

 the disposition to grumble because the 

 critics are finding flaws. I am not suf- 

 fering any; the martyrdom is less 

 severe than I suspected it might be, 

 and it may be edifying to others." 



The letter that accompanied the 



photographs was as follows: 



I am sending you pictures of some of the work 

 1 have put up. I shall be glad to have you 

 • reproduce them In The Review and criticise 

 them, as you have done with others — I want to 

 know what the trade thinks of my work and 

 trust that you will do justice to this opportunity. 

 In reproducing I ask that you leave the name in. 



Hilary E. Le Page. 



The Flowers End Too Abruptly. 



Here is shown a galax wreath, fin- 

 ished with carnations and Eoman hya- 

 cinths. At least there appear to have 

 been some Bomans used, but not to 

 good advantage. 



First let us consider the bare galax 

 wreath. Nearly every florist secures 

 a different effect in making a wreath 

 of these valuable but inexpensive 

 leaves. Some pin them to the moss; 

 others wire them short, while in many 

 cases no certain scheme seems to have 

 been followed at all. In the wreath 

 shown, the leaves appear to have been 

 rather carelessly arranged and the 

 opening in the center could have been 

 left larger by not making the wreath 

 quite so wide. If two galax leaves 

 are wired to one toothpick, the smaller 

 one about one inch above the lower, a 

 good looking wreath can be made with- 

 out much previous experience. Where 

 the flowers are to be placed the leaves 

 should, of course, be stemmed shorter. 



The flowers in the wreath end up 

 altogether too abruptly. The flnish on 

 the right side has the appearance of 

 being straight across, instead of being 

 more pointed in form and thinning out 

 into fewer flowers, placed farther apart, 

 with some dainty green between. On 

 the side where the bow is placed, the 

 flowers should have been finished as if 

 they were the beginning of a spray, 

 with the bow used to hold the spray to 

 the wreath. 



The whole arrangement of the flowers 

 should be more airy. This effect could 

 be obtained by letting the Boman hya- 

 cinths protrude farther beyond the car- 

 nations, on the top as well as at the 

 edges, and where a bow is used, as in 

 this case, the flowers should have the 

 appearance of a long, graceful, crescent- 

 shaped spray, tied to the wreath; other- 

 wise there would be no excuse for using 

 a bow of ribbon at all. 



Just why the designer of this wreath 

 used gauze for loops and satin ribbon 

 for the streamers, I cannot understand. 

 Gauze or chiffon, when used in connec- 

 tion with satin ribbon, should be tied 



let the flowers end up about at the top 

 or a little past the top. 



Hugo Schroeter. 



The Blending is Neglected. 



The intention in this piece is good, 

 but the execution is faulty, first in 

 that the blending is neglected. The 

 sections are merely joined. To prop- 

 erly blend a piece in sections, as this 

 is made, a number of lines from one 

 section should be carried into the Other 

 — dovetailed, as it were. The Eoman 

 hyacinths would accomplish this in the 

 wreath presented here, if they were 



Wreath for Criticism. 



so that the latter will show through the 

 chiffon. Beautiful effects can be se- 

 cured in this way. 



When an easel is used, it should be 

 covered with smilax or Asparagus 

 Sprengeri if a finished effect is wanted. 

 In mounting a wreath of this descrip- 

 tion upon an easel, instead of placing 

 the center of the flowers exactly at the 

 top, it would be better to place the 

 ribbon at the lower left-hand side and 



more in evidence over the galax leaves 

 on the right side. 



The top of the wreath is slightly 

 flattened, as the result of the flower- 

 filled section being narrower than the 

 galax section. 



Of all formal pieces, there is none 

 which permits more freedom in arrange- 

 ment than a wreath. It is easily dis- 

 tinguished, as it is simple in outline, 

 is not a reproduction of some object, 



