DECOEATIVE USE OF FLOWEliS. 



211 



quoted, the following flowers could with advantage 

 he displayed. Of the Eucharis a few hlossoms, with 

 three or four spathes of the AntJmrium Scherzerianum, 

 or spikes of Centropogon Luciamcs. The upright 

 forms of Gloxinia are also very suitahle, and should 

 the arrangement he for use in the day-time, the 

 heautiful blue of Eranthemum pulchellmn would he 

 a valuable addition. Around the edge of the dish, a 

 few pieces of the fronds of Adiantum carcliochloina 

 would he a useful help, with here and there a trail- 

 ing shoot of Asparagus plumosus nanus, and a few 

 leaves now and again of one or two sorts of the 

 hroad-leaved Crotons or the fine-foliaged Begonias, 

 of medium size only. 



Small Plants. — With respect to the smaller 

 sizes of plants, for placing in tea-saucers and the 

 like, these are of great value for placing down the 

 sides of the table, when this is of extra length. 

 These will best arrange in pairs or fours of each 

 kind. Fandanus Veitchii again comes to the front as 

 one of the best of its kind, and when well-coloured, 

 in a very small state, is not easily surpassed on the 

 dinner-table. Small Ferns and Palms in pots of 

 about two and a half inches diameter, or not exceed- 

 ing three inches, will also look well. In this small 

 state, one of the prettiest of Ferns that can be used 

 is Asjjlenium cicutarium, which might be more ex- 

 tensively cultivated ; and among the Palms, Geonoma 

 gracilis, Myop/iorbe Verschajfeltd, and Areca Serbstii 

 {Acanthophoanij; crinitus), with Chamccdorea elegantis- 

 sima, may be added to the list of those kinds already 

 given. With these small plants, the dressing around 

 the pots must be kept as small and close as can be done 

 in an ordinary tea-saucer. Fronds of Davallia hullata, 

 or other small-growing Ferns, as Maiden-hairs, &c., 

 should be used. If the Moss or other material to cover 

 the sand is nice and fresh, it would be quite optional 

 whether any flowers are used besides the Fern foliage 

 just referred to ; we have done it in both ways, and 

 in either manner the effect has been pleasing. With 

 the Pandanus, we have dotted in a few blossoms of 

 Ipomea Horsfallice, the rich colour of which con- 

 trasted well with the green and white of the Pan- 

 danus. The lovely shade of colour in Franciscea 

 calycina major would be an excellent change from the 

 Ipomea. Cyclamen flowers, too, would be very 

 pretty around the Palms, and from the herbaceous 

 border the Aquilegias or Columbines of the improved 

 types could be used with very good effect. The 

 hardy species of Primulas, Anemone f ulgens, and the 

 Chrysanthemum frutescens, or Paris Daisies, would 

 all work in for these little arrangements with other 

 similar flowers at different i)eriods of the year. 



As a farther addition, instead of using any 

 specimen glasses, take a few nice compact tufts of 



Selaginella from three-inch pots, and cut away the 

 lower half of the ball, after which place the same in 

 any available receptacle, or on a thick piece of card- 

 board, if nothing else can be got ; then on each of 

 these one specimen flower could be dotted, as a 

 Rosebud or Camellia for instance. 



This description of a system of dinner-table de- 

 corations, without the aid of either costly epergnes, 

 choice glass or china vases, or other accessories, 

 will be sufficient to show that none of these supposed 

 necessaries need be relied upon entirely, or at all. 

 Each of the systems can be combined with good 

 effect, but, in our opinion, the flowers and foliage 

 should be the central point of attraction, and costly 

 exterior aid regarded as entirely superfluous. 



General Arrangement. — Whatsoever method 

 of arrangement may be decided upon for any given 

 occasion, due consideration must be given to the 

 other necessary adjuncts of a well-ordered table, so 

 that everything when completed has no appearance 

 of being overcrowded. The placing of the dessert 

 must receive proper attention, and room be allowed 

 for the same accordingly, within easy reach of the 

 guests. Except for the top and bottom ends of the 

 table, no dessert- dishes ought to be placed in a line 

 with the central arrangements, in which position they 

 would be difficult of access. For general purposes, 

 glass dishes for the fruit are as useful, or even more 

 so than those of china and other material. They 

 have a light appearance when filled, not being as a 

 matter of necessity so heavy in make as the china. 

 Glass baskets are extremely pretty for small fruits, 

 and when carefully filled with such, as Figs, Straw- 

 berries, and Cherries, they form a distinct and some- 

 what novel feature on the table. 



A stand or design of flowers in the centre of the 

 table would be sufficient when intended for from 

 eight to twelve persons. After allowance has been 

 made for the dish of fruit at each end, should there 

 be too much space still left, if no lights have to be 

 used, two pairs of small plants could be placed in a 

 line with the centre, dressed around with Moss, (fee, 

 as previously explained. Four more dishes of fruit 

 should at least be allowed for, being two on each 

 side ; an)^ remaining space to be filled up could be 

 done with either specimen glasses or dot plants, 

 according to the size of the table. As this increases 

 in length to seat from twelve to twenty or more 

 persons, the two designs on each side of the centre- 

 piece must be correspondingly increased in dimen- 

 sions, to make them more prominent, but still 

 retaining the central stand as the most conspicuous. 

 More than three prominent groups are hardly ever 

 necessary, even to seat twenty-four persons. If it 

 is deemed requisite to have any addition through the 



