DECOUATIVE USE OF FLOWERS. 



339 



■best plan, -we thmk, to secure Camellias for bouquets 

 just as they are about to expand, then after tho 

 wiring has been done the outer petsils can be reflexed 

 by the thumb and finger. We make it a practice to 

 place either a piece of cotton wool or JIoss, that has 

 been well soaked in water, close up to the flower ; 

 then when the wires are brought together, the same 

 will be pressed dose up to where the flower was 

 severed from the stem ; this will aid in keeping it 

 the fresher. A small twig will require to be added 

 as an artificial stem before being worked into the 

 bouquet. 



Bouvardias, and similar flowers with tolerably good 

 stems of their own, only require one wire twisted 

 around the same in order to bend them into the re- 

 quired shape. We have seen a wire thrust up the 

 tube of each blossom of JB. jasminoides and B. Hum- 

 boldtii eorymbifiora in order to keep them erect ; we do 

 not think this at all necessary, being indeed dan- 

 gerous when, in order to inhale the perfumes, the 

 bouquet is drawn close to the face, the Bouvardias 

 generally being made to project beyond the average 

 distance of most of the other flowers. Hyacinths 

 and the Polyanthus Xarcissns will be most conve- 

 niently used in bouquet- work if each pip is wired 

 separately ; three or more of such pips can then be 

 placed together in one bunch before being arranged 

 in the bouquet. If used singly, we prefer to draw 

 them in between the other flowers after the main 

 part of the arrangement is complete. (The Roman 

 Hyacinths and Paper-white Narcissus are excep- 

 tions, being of more convenient size.) Stephanotis 

 is best managed in the same way as the Hyacinths 

 and the Tuberose, of which one blossom will be better 

 than three in a bunch, and can be drawn amongst 

 the other flowers at the finish. Other examples will 

 not be requisite on this subject ; it will suffice to 

 say that wiring of flowers is oftentimes carried out 

 too severely ; practice in this, as well as in other 

 departments of floral arrangement, being the best 

 teacher. 



Forms and Kinds of Bouquets. — ^Bouquets 

 are made of various shapes and sizes ; a great di- 

 vergence in opinion exists on these points. In shape 

 we incline to that represented by one-third of a 

 circle, or 120 degrees ; not rigidly adhering to that 

 form, for no formality should be visible. Bouquets 

 more often than not are made too flat, in which 

 way the flowers cannot possibly be seen to the best 

 ad\'antage. On the other hand, we sometimes see 

 them of the opposite extreme, after the shape of an 

 ordinary bell-glass. As a novelty, they can be made 

 to " one face," as it were. This system has certainly 

 one advantage — viz., that of convenience in laying 

 them down. It does not appear, however, to have 



met with general approval, and is now seldom prac- 

 tised. Respecting the sizes of bouquets, it is neces- 

 sary to consider for what purpose they are intended 

 when completed. For wedding festivities we prefer 

 them slightly in excess of an average size ; for the 

 ball-room, and other similar occasions, the average 

 dimensions of bouquets should not on any account 

 be exceeded, or the weight, ic, wiU cause them to 

 be inconvenient. With bouquets that ai-e intended 

 for presentation, the size may with advantage be in- 

 creased beyond that of those for weddings, these 

 being rarely used for any special purpose after being 

 presented, beyond retaining them tiU the flowers fade. 

 With such bouquets it will be advisable to use a little 

 extra Moss round the stems of those flowers which are 

 not long enough to reach the water when placed in a 

 vase. It will also greatly tend to keep them fresher 

 if the bouquet be inverted every morning, and some 

 water poured amongst the stems, afterwards giving 

 a gentle shake and removing any faded Fern, &c., 

 with a pair of scissors. We would advise all choice 

 arrangements of this kind to be kept under a glass 

 globe, comments on which have been made in a 

 previous chapter. 



MaJdxLg up. — ^In making up bouquets, pay due 

 attention to keeping the centre well elevated above 

 the flowers that are brought into close proximity to 

 it. Rose-bads or Camellias will answer for the centre 

 admirably, by reason of their forin. The Eucharis 

 are not well adapted for this purpose, being too flat 

 in appearance ; Gardenias would be decidedly prefer- 

 able ; a truss of Stephanotis would also answer very 

 well. After the floral arrangement is completed, two 

 or three fronds of Maiden-hair Fern with small 

 pinnae may be drawn lightly between the flowers, 

 those of medium size that are of a pale green colour 

 being chosen. For fringing the margin, the same 

 sort of Fern, with an admixture of Davallia buUata, 

 or £iny other dosely-resembling kind. Those Adi- 

 antunis (Maiden-hairs) that partake of a roseate 

 tinge in their younger state will also be found of 

 much service; our British species, A. Cap ill us- Veneris, 

 with its pale green fronds, in the same stage of 

 growth, is one of the most beautiful of ^..± Ferns. A 

 few sprays from Asparagus plumosus nanus 'will be 

 found of convenient form for the same piirpose. 



This brings us to the finishing point, leaving only 

 the bouquet-paper to be added, with little basket-like 

 holders and ribbon, at the discretion of the maker, 

 to suit individual requirements. Those papers with 

 a cup-like formation, and a tolerably broad margin 

 of an ornamental character, are by far the more pre- 

 ferable. The flat papers of a few years back are not 

 to be compared to them for convenience. If an extra 

 good cup with costly lace fringing is being used, it 



