134 



CASSELL'S POPULAR GAEDENING. 



(Speedwells) of the herbaceous section are also of 

 good effect when used in the same way. 



Numerous other examples might be given of 

 flowers that are of most essential service in floral 

 arrangements, but any close observer will readily 

 discern any novelty which presents itself to his no- 

 tice, and place the same under requisition to supply 

 a change from the ordinary routine of decorations. 

 Experiments should be made both in the material 

 employed and at the same time in the methods of ar- 

 rangement. Frequent repetition of the same design, 

 with more or less the same kinds of flowers, should 

 be studiously avoided ; otherwise the best of flowers, 

 with tasteful grouping even, will grow wearisome 

 to the eye, and thereby their beauties will be passed 

 over unnoticed. 



MANAGEMENT AND PRESERVATION OF MATERIAL. 



The Foundation. — Water may fairly be con- 

 sidered as the best of all aids that can be brought 

 into requisition for the sustenance of cut flowers, 

 and, where any choice of the same can be exercised, 

 we would at all times prefer rain-water in preference 

 to that which has been drawn, either through great 

 lengths of pipes or from deep wells. For some kinds 

 of arrangements sand of fine quality will be found 

 of great service ; when this is used a layer of green 

 moss is an essential help in hiding the sand from 

 view. Failing the moss, a beautiful carpeting can 

 be had by using some tufts of Selaginella denticulata, 

 though this method would by some be considered 

 extravagant. Little sprigs of Box-leaved Myrtle 

 [Myrtus buxifolia) would be an excellent substitute, 

 for those who can succeed in cultivating it in the 

 open air of the more southern counties of England. 

 The common Box of gardens [Buxiis) is perhaps the 

 most readily obtained when moss cannot be had ; 

 small shoots of this shrub would last out several 

 arrangements. Use moss, however, when it can be 

 had, as it is of valuable service in conserving 

 moisture for the better keeping of the flowers. The 

 great advantage in using sand and moss in combina- 

 tion, is in the assistance thereby gained in retaining 

 the flowers in their desired position when using 

 shallow vases or glass dishes. Sufiicient water should 

 be added thereto in order to saturate the sand, with- 

 out destroying its consistency in the retention of the 

 flowers in the position in which they have been 

 placed. 



Stems. — It is a great assistance to those who 

 arrange decorations to have all the flowers cut with 

 as much available length of foot-stalks and stems as 

 possible. The flowers can then be used and dis- 

 played with far greater ease than is the case when 

 very short stems have to be dealt with ; the character 



and habit of growth will likewise aid in the general 

 effect. It is a mistake very frequently made — 

 sometimes, no doubt, for fear of injuring the plant 

 or shrub, as the case vcidij be, but more often, we 

 think, through thoughtlessness — that the flowers are 

 cut with needlessly short stems. All who cut their 

 own flowers will easily be able to secure their de- 

 sired ends in this respect. In the case of some 

 pot-plants of slow growth, due caution must neces- 

 sarily be exercised. Small bushes, for instance, of 

 Camellias must be leniently dealt with ; but from large 

 plants of the same genus that are in robust health a 

 fair amount of stem may be secured, with even ad- 

 vantage in the case of prominent shoots, inducing 

 back breaks to be made from buds that would in 

 some instances have remained dormant. The slow- 

 gro^\ang Ericas from the Cape of Good Hope, and 

 some few genera of New Holland plants, will need 

 to be carefully treated. The greater portion of the 

 Epacris from the latter country furnish us, on the 

 other hand, with a most abundant supply of flower- 

 spikes of excellent length ; these we have found to 

 be of most valuable service from October to March. 

 The flowers of Cyclamen persicum should never be 

 cut, but be separated from the corm by a gentle 

 twist with the thumb and finger, giving also a slight 

 gain in the length of the foot-stalk. Lachenalia 

 tricolor and the other species should be operated on 

 in the same manner as the Cyclamens. 



All flowers, too, should be chosen for such designs 

 as will best display them to advantage. The error 

 is oftentimes made of using flowers in an unnatural 

 manner : in the case of the Fuchsia, for instance, I 

 have seen it worked into an arrangement in which 

 its pendent flowers were made to look upwards, and 

 time had been wasted in either wiring the blossoms 

 or using other means to this end. The red and 

 white forms of Lapageria are another example, which 

 by careful wiring I saw made to stand erect, instead 

 of being used in a natural way, as they ought to be. 

 All such errors should be avoided. 



Use of Gum. — Some kinds of flowers, from 

 their liability to soon dropping, either from off their 

 foot-stalk, as in the case of the single Chinese 

 Primroses [Primula sinensis), or from shedding their 

 petals, as in the case of the Pelargoniums of the 

 single types, have ceased to be used by some through 

 this failing. This drawback to the use of these and 

 similar subjects can easily be overcome by the appli- 

 cation of a little liquid gum. This, if done with 

 care, will fix the flowers and petals for a more 

 lengthened period. "We make it a constant practice 

 to gum our Camellias before using them in specimen 

 glasses. In doing this we choose a small camel's- 

 hair brush, and with it apply a fair amount of the 



