126 



CASSELL'S POPULAR GARDENING. 



More fortunate still for those lovers of floral decora- 

 tions who can draw upon the resources of our stoves 

 and hot-houses, wherewith to heautify and render 

 recherche their various arrangements, when for a 

 while the wintry blasts lay prostrate the beauties of 

 our hardier flowers, with but few exceptions. Hap- 

 pily, however, those harbingers of spring-time, the 

 Snowdrop and the Crocus, quickly unfold their 

 blossoms, ere the frosts and snows have left us even, 

 for the return of more congenial weather. These 

 are soon followed by the Primrose in various shades 

 of colour, the Oxlip, the Cowslip, and the Polyanthus, 

 all of which can be turned to good account in a 

 rustic manner for many decorations. As these, in 

 their turn, fade and wither away before the bright 

 rays of the coming summer, we have a wealth of 

 beautiful flowers that vie with each other in bril- 

 liancy of colour or in beauty of form and outline. 

 So on throughout the sunshine of the summer 

 months, the flower garden yields an immense variety 

 of choice subjects for decorations. 



As the summer wanes away and signs of coming- 

 autumn are apparent in the beautiful tints of the 

 foliage of our trees and deciduous shrubs, there 

 again is another wide field of selection should 

 floweis be somewhat scarce. The beautiful hues of 

 colour that many leaves assume during this period 

 of the year are the admiration of all lovers of nature. 

 The artist gathers therefrom many suggestions for 

 his pencil and brush. The lover of floral arrange- 

 ments is also an artist, using the natural beauties 

 wherewith the all-beneficent Creator has endowed 

 this earth of ours, and displaying them for the 

 better admira.tion and entertainment of others, as 

 occasion may occur, each in their own sphere of life. 



It is wonderful how some enthusiastic admirers 

 of flowers will contrive, either by the aid of flowers 

 or foliage individually, or both combined, to make 

 most efll^ective arrangements with but little material 

 from which to choose. The wild flowers of our 

 fields and hedgerows will, when tastefully arranged 

 in as natural a manner as possible, most favourably 

 compare with the choicest inmates of our hot- 

 houses, if these latter have not had the same 

 artistic taste displayed in their grouping together. 

 Instances in proof of this may be frequently seen 

 at the horticultural exhibitions held throughout the 

 length and breadth of the country during the 

 summer months. Disappointments have tnereby 

 been occasioned to those exhibitors who have relied 

 on the quality of their flowers to gain the coveted 

 awa];ds, when to their dismay they havi seen other 

 competitors placed before them with tastefully ar- 

 ranged vases composed of selections from commoner 

 and less pretentious subjects. I woiild strongly urge 

 those who desire to excel in dinner-table and 



other decorations also, to pay close attention to the 

 variety and difi:erent tastes in arrangement that are 

 brought together on these occasions. Notes should 

 be made of such methods and selections of flowers as 

 appear the most effective, and the first opportunity 

 should be taken to improve upon the hints thus 

 gained for decorations in the home circle. By this 

 means a more ready knowledge of the best applicable 

 uses of various flowers will soon be gained. 



In the arrangement of cut flow^ers and foliage for 

 all decorations, there are many subsidiary points to 

 be considered. 



In order to attain the desired end of securing 

 an artistic arrangement, it is necessary to have a 

 knowledge of what flowers are best adapted for 

 the vases or epergnes that are intended to bo used, 

 so that they can be displayed to the best advan- 

 tage in the same. By this means any waste in 

 material can be obviated, or reduced to the low^est 

 possible limit. For instance, in some cases flowers 

 with short available foot-stalks could be arranged 

 with good effect, whilst in other instance^ those with 

 long stems would be of far greater service. Length- 

 ening the stems in an artificial manner with wire 

 can, of course, be performed, but it ought to be 

 avoided in all practicable cases for the better preser- 

 vation of the flowers. 



Ground-work of the Design. — Many per- 

 sons make it a practice to arrange vases of cut 

 flowers without having previously inserted some fem 

 or foliage as gTOund-work. This is, we think, 

 a mistake, and especially in the case of large-sized 

 az'rangements, which necessitate the use of a 

 goodly quantity of material in the form of flowers. 

 In all table decorations, other than small specimen 

 glasses, we find the work is far more easily per- 

 formed by making good use of fern-fi'onds at the 

 commencement. The Maidenhair fern is always a 

 favourite with floral decorators ; but many use it as 

 a finish to their work, whereas we think, and have 

 found from practice, that it is best used before any 

 flowers are inserted at all. Over a ground- work of 

 moss the fronds of this and other ferns with miscel- 

 laneous foliage can be so arranged as if still on the 

 plant, in a natural-growing position. After the 

 insertion of the requisite foliage, the flowers can be 

 arranged to give tone and harmony to the whole. 

 Thus we should be toning up to the required 

 standard in colour effect ; not, as many would have 

 it done, by flrst placing the flowers (in a far too 

 methodical manner oftentimes) over the entire sur- 

 face, then toning down by the addition of fern- 

 fronds, &c. Comparison between the two methods 



