156 The Floral Decoration of 



they should always be large and roomy. Very pretty 

 hanging baskets can be made of knots, gnarled tree 

 roots, or pine cones nailed over a small wooden box 

 and varnished. Materials for this style of basket are 

 easily got in the country, and they can be purchased 

 ready made in the towns. An extremely pretty hang- 

 ing plant stand may be made by drilling holes in the 

 corners of an encaustic tile and fixing wires or small 

 chains, or even twine, through the holes and meeting 

 above, with a hook to suspend it from a nail in the 

 centre of the window recess. On this little stand a 

 plant of Linaria, Convolvulus, or Aaron's beard, can be 

 placed, which will droop down with the prettiest fragile 

 greed wreath imaginable. I have a golden variegated 

 variety of the Linaria which is quite a gem for pots or 

 hanging baskets. A very pretty little table ornament 

 can also be made with three sticks of equal length 

 joined to form a tripod and covered with tinfoil. A 

 small basket covered with the same material and sus- 

 pended from the centre could have a pot of Selaginella, 

 Toad-flox, Aaron's beard, or small Fern placed within 

 it. This is an extremely elegant device having the 

 appearance of a real silver tripod. 



Brackets of various designs are greatly used in room 

 decoration, to cover bare walls near windows, and in 

 draping picture frames and mirrors. They are made 

 of earthenware, wood, wire, virgin cork, and zinc. 

 When you wish to, drape a picture frame or mirror 

 ,the zinc brackets should be used and hung at the back 

 of the frame to be concealed from view ; in them the 

 common Ivy grows well and can be trained ' in any 



