CUT FLOWERS 139 



coolers of beaten copper. Some of the latter are more 

 generally used for pot-plants, but when flowers are 

 large and in plenty, as at the times of Tulip and 

 Rhododendron and Peony, the most roomy things 

 one has are none too large. 



As in all matters of decoration, so also it should 

 be borne in mind in the use of flowers indoors that 

 one of the first and wholesomest laws is that of 

 restraint and moderation. So great is the love of 

 flowers nowadays, and so mischievous is the teach- 

 ing of that hackneyed saying which holds that "you 

 cannot have too much of a good thing," that people 

 often fall into the error of having much too much of 

 flowers and foliage in their rooms. There comes a 

 point where the room becomes overloaded with flowers 

 and greenery. During the last few years I have 

 seen many a drawing-room where it appeared to be 

 less a room than a thicket. Where a good mass of 

 greenery is wanted in a house, it is best kept in 

 the hall or some place near the entrance, and even 

 in quite a large room, one very large arrangement 

 of foliage and flower will probably be enough, though 

 of pot-plants in suitable receptacles and of smaller 

 things of carefully arranged and disposed cut flowers 

 it may take a large number. But it must be borne 

 in mind that it can be easily overdone. And a 

 watchful eye must be kept on greenhouse and stove, 

 and the gardener must come into friendly consulta- 

 tion as to the pot-plants that are brought in. Ferns 



