28 



The Florists^ Review 



Mabch 13, 1913. 



arrangement both are important factors 

 in the sale. 



Easter Fashions in Cut Flowers 



In this issue there are a number of 

 illustrations showing cut flower ar- 

 rangements of this character. The most 

 pretentious of these is the big basket 

 shown on pa^e .33. The store in which 

 this was photographed last Easter sold 

 it for $25. It was a large white bas- 

 ket, decorated with a wreath of flow- 

 ers. Of course it had a tin lining. The 

 decorator filled the liner with crossed 

 twigs, which made it possible for him 

 to insert his flower stems in water al- 

 most as he would have done in moss. 

 The stock used was all spring flowers, 

 including almost everything the season 

 affords. 



Possibly the best sellers prove to be 

 the baskets shown on page 34. At the 

 left is an ivory finished basket filled 

 with Mrs. Aaron Ward rosea. The 

 handle carried a bow of good quality 

 ribbon that exactly matched the roses. 

 The supply houses new furmish splen- 

 did matches in all the leading flower 

 colors. At the right is a straw basket 

 with a glass container. The color was 

 yellow, with a green handle with a cute 

 little bow at the top. The flowers were 

 open Maryland roses, with a few tight 

 buds, and some valley, inexpensive but 

 extremely attractive. 



On page 35 the basket at the left was 

 a fine seller. It was one of those dou- 

 ble-barreled affairs of willow, with 

 deep tin lining, making it possible to 

 use long-stemmed roses. Those photo- 

 graphed were Ehea Reid and the ribbon 

 was Reid red. At the right was one of 



the Japanese straw baskets filled with 

 mixed roses. Such combinations do not 

 appeal to all tastes, but in some neigh- 

 borhoods this basket of roses as shown 

 at the right was a good seller. 



Some Excellent Sellers. 



On page 32 the illustration shows 

 three simple little affairs that were good 

 sellers. At the left the basket vase 

 contained pink sweet peas. In the cen- 

 ter Cattleya Trianse and lily of the val- 

 ley are shown. The basket at the right 

 was filled with Wilhelmina tulips and 

 poet's narcissi. 



For the customer wanting something 

 out of the ordinary the cut flower bas- 

 ket shown on page 33 was provided. 

 This was of Japanese straw, champagne 

 color, with ribbon to match. Shaped 

 like the schoolgirl's book bag, it con- 

 tained a tin lining. The material used 

 was cut sprays of Azalea mollis, Spiraea 

 Gladstone and Japanese maple. 



PLANTS AND THEIK CASE. 



How to Handle Easter Stock. 



Next in importance to growing or 

 buying good plants is the importance 

 of giving them proper care when they 

 reach the store, and proper packing 

 when sent out to customers. Eastei 

 comes at an unusually early date 

 this year, in a month notoriously 

 treacherous as to weather, so we should 

 be prepared to give plants all necessary 

 wrapping. We may be fortunate enough 

 to have balmy weather just prior to the 

 great floral festival, but of this we can 

 never be sure. Of course, mild weather 



Rote Hiawatha is One of the Popular Easter Sei/ers. 



means a great saving in labor incidental 

 to wrapping plants, but it would be wise 

 to lay in an abundant supply of news- 

 papers and other wrapping material. 

 Better cover more heavily than may 

 seem necessary, rather than have qom- 

 plaints coming in of chilled and trifzen 

 plants. Clean pots and careful stalling 

 and watering are other details wjiich 

 should be attended to. The grower who 

 sends dirty pots to the store deserve^ to 

 lose trade, yet some of them persisjt in 

 doing it. No wonder they are passed 

 in the race hy their more up-to-date 

 competitors. \ 



- '- . • •• I 



- The Easter Lilies. ! 



Lilies are, of course, the most impor- 

 tant of all Easter plants, and if one 

 plant only is wanted it will probably 

 be a lily. A large quantity are jthis 

 season being subjected to hard forcing 

 in efforts to flower them on time, f his 

 means that many plants will carry flow- 

 ers much lacking in substance and which 

 are likely to suffer severely in a stoije if 

 subjected to draughts and a moderately 

 low temperature. Look over the pleats 

 daily and remove all pollen masse^ to 

 keep the flowers clean. Few of ; the 

 giganteums should need any staking, 

 but the taller growing Formosas and 

 some of the multiflorums will reqiiire 

 it. There is quite a call for made-up 

 lilies in lO-inch to 12-inch pots or deep 

 pans. It is always best to let the plants 

 have the flowers about ready to open 

 before making up. A lot of the soil can 

 be shaken off or washed away with the 

 hose. If the roots are not too much dis- 

 turbed the plants will show little ill 

 effect. Be sure, however, to keep the 

 soil moist. In packing lilies, be sure to 

 first wrap tissue paper about the flow- 

 ers, and be careful when covering the 

 spikes that they are not tied tight, so 

 that the flowers will be bryised. 



Bambler Boses. 



Some rambler roses are likely to be 

 rather lightly flowered this season and 

 will show the effects of hard forcing. 

 They are among the most popular of 

 Easter plants. The old Crimson Ram- 

 bler led the procession years ago, but it 

 is not now much seen, the pink varieties 

 having secured a commanding lead. A 

 few years ago white was the predomi- 

 nant Easter color. Outside of lilies 

 this does not hold good now. Perhaps 

 the greatest seller of all is Dorothy 

 Perkins, but the newer Tausendschon 

 pushes it hard for leading place. This 

 latter proves a great seller. Unlike the 

 majority of ramblers, this sort has a 

 pleasing fragrance. Juniata, light pink, 

 is a fine thing, as is Lady Gay. As a 

 red we have nothing today superior to 

 Hiawatha, with its bright red single 

 flowers and rich, shiny foliage. Wed- 

 ding Bells, American Pillar, White Dor- 

 othy and Farquhar are all fine Easter 

 varieties. Then in the so-called baby 

 rambler, or dwarf class, we now have 

 quite a range of shades, from dark red 

 to pure white. The original Mme. Nor- 

 bert Levavasleur has not a good color, 

 but Mrs. Cutbush, Orleans, Catherine 

 Zeimet, Phyllis and others are all of 

 delightful shades. All the ramblers 

 need a generous water supply. One 

 drying out will severely cripple them, 

 so be sure they never approach this 

 stage. 



In the case of hybrid perpetual and 

 hybrid tea roses in pots, it is not easy 

 to time them to a nicety and it may be 

 necessary to forward or retard them to 



