Floral Decoration of Apartments in Paris. 113 



the arrangement — you cannot notice any dividing marks or gaps, 

 yet there was no awkward crowding. The fact is that with an 

 abundance of plants distinguished by beauty of form, it is almost 

 impossible to make a mistake in arrangement. 



Trellises covered with artificial Ivy, and dotted here and there 

 with artificial flowers, were a useful aid in these decorations ; placed 

 behind the groups of plants and on the walls near them, their effect 

 was very good, and of course these Ivy-covered trellises were carried 

 far above the plants — to the top of the walls in fact. So you see 

 they do not spare a little artificial aid, although so well fortified 

 with a supply of fine plants. I saw other evidences of this at 

 La Muette — another name for the establishment before described. 

 A lot of respectable-looking evergreens of pyramidal outline were 

 thrown aside. On closer examination they proved to be composed 

 of boughs cut in a healthy plantation of evergreens, and then taste- 

 fully disposed and tied firmly on a strong stake or small pole, which 

 was plunged in a pot filled with a sort of rough and ready mortar, 

 w^hich soon hardened round the stake and kept it perfectly firm. 

 These were employed during the coldest weather, and doubtless it 

 was thought better to act thus, than to expose valuable shrubs to 

 risk of loss from gas and other evil influences. The fine-foliaged 

 things generally. Palms, Ficuses, and the like, are as remarkable 

 for bearing a great deal of removal, and for not suffering much 

 from the drying atmosphere of rooms, as for their grace and ver- 

 dure. The Camellias were more fully embellished with flowers 

 by the aid of a little management. Of course there were plants in 

 plenty in full bloom at Passy which were not required at the Hotel 

 de VUle, and from these numbers of flowers were taken off" without 

 any stem, thus saving the buds immediately below the bloom. The 

 flowers were then brought into Paris in shallow boxes, a slender wire 

 was slipped through the base of each, turned down a little on the 

 other side, and then pulled back, the flower being next seated upon 

 a couple of leaves on or near the apex of a shoot on one of the plants 

 already in position, and fixed by a twist of the wire. In this way 



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