September 15,1881. ] JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 237 
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Brighton Horticultural Society’s Show. 
Harborne Potato Show (two days). 
Paisley Florists’ Society’s Show. 
14th Sunday after Trinity. 
Suffolk Bee-keepers’ Association’s Show at Ipswich (six days). 
International Potato Exhibition, Crystal Palace (two days). 
THE ARRANGEMENT OF CUT FLOWERS. 
is quite an exception to my ordinary ex¬ 
perience to find a gardener able to arrange cut 
flowers really well,” was the extraordinary ex¬ 
pression that fell quite recently from the lips 
of a lady whose exquisite taste in the treat¬ 
ment of cut flowers is indisputable, who, more¬ 
over, is the owner of a large garden, and whose 
experience of the doings and capabilities of gar¬ 
deners is sufficient to impart great weight to words not 
lightly spoken. A feeling of regret to which they gave 
rise prompts the inquiry, Is this so ? and if it is, What can be 
done to effect a general improvement in a matter of such 
importance? 
That the prizes given at flower shows for dinner-table deco¬ 
rations and for bouquets have done something in this direction 
is undoubtedly true, but ought we to rest content with this? 
The inspection of finished work is instructive by conveying a 
general idea of how it should look when done, but how to do 
it is the question to which the sight of it so frequently gives 
rise. “Can I ever attain to such excellence as this?” is the 
unspoken thought of many a puzzled but aspiring beholder. 
It would be misleading to assert that it is possible to render 
proficient all or even many of those who aspire to the mastery 
of an art for which, just as in landscape gardening, there must 
be a natural taste—an intuition that readily adapts itself to 
the refining influence of artistic training, and originates and 
brings to perfection conceptions of its own different from 
others, and yet devoid of all that offends the highest taste and 
culture. 
Let not those be discouraged, however, who are sensible of 
the non-possession of such natural gifts, and who can never 
hope to achieve great things in this direction, for all flowers 
are so beautiful and lend themselves so readily to graceful com¬ 
binations, that a knowledge of what colours may best be used 
together, and when, with a few lessons—actual practical 
demonstration by an accomplished artist—would suffice for 
ordinary purposes. But where are such lessons to be had ? 
Machinery in motion, working dairies, bee-driving, and many 
similar methods of popular education are established facts at 
public exhibitions, but floral decoration has advanced no 
further than a mere exhibition of finished work. If the 
managers of horticultural societies wish to add a feature to 
future exhibitions that will attract the public and afford 
greater gratification than anything that has yet been tried, let 
them secure the services of a good floral decorator—a man 
who cannot blunder at his work, of fluent speech and polished 
address—a lecturer, in point of fact, and let him have a large 
table with vases and flowers of his own selection, so placed in 
an enclosure that as many persons as possible may look on. 
Then let him show how cut flowers can be made to look best 
in vases and other vessels suitable for sitting-rooms, corridors, 
and wherever they are required, in a variety of ways for 
dinner-tables, and also in hand and buttonhole bouquets, ex¬ 
plaining the reason of all he does, and answering the very 
numerous questions with which he is quite certain to be assailed. 
It may very safely be predicted that this would be a step 
onwards so highly appreciated that the lecturer and not the 
public would tire first. It would, moreover, tend more than 
anything else could do to instruct and aid many a willing 
anxious learner, rendering his duties in floral arrangement 
easier to himself and satisfactory to his employers. 
Tasteful combinations of flowers and foliage that harmonise 
not only in colour but in form, are our chief aim in this work. 
Avoid mixtures of gaudy colours : if scarlet is the chief colour 
use no yellow shades, but rather choose white for contrast. 
For example, just now the bold scarlet flowers of Vallota are 
plentiful, so also are the lovely white flowers of Anemone 
Ilonorine Jobert; try them together, using the Vallota 
blooms singly for a groundwork, out of which springs the 
white Anemone, also single, yet with the flowers gracefully 
clustering. This is a charming mixture for a dinner-table, 
and serves to illustrate my meaning both in its application 
to form and colour. In so treating a Marsh stand lately 
the Vallota flowers in the bottom saucer had a bold fringe of 
Fern fronds, a few small sprays of Maidenhair Fern rose among 
the mingled white and scarlet flowers, and around the glass 
stem was twined a spray of Selaginella cassia with the lovely 
bluish metallic hue well developed, partly hidden by tufts of 
half-opened Anemones, dried Quaking Grass, and a couple of 
leaves of Geranium pratense which clustered around the base. 
The same flowers were repeated in the tops with the addition 
of bold clusters of scarlet-flowered Begonia fuchsioides. Had 
this stand been for a daylight decoration some spikes of single 
blue branching Larkspur might have been used with excellent 
effect. But blue never answers for lamp light, and is never 
used because it looks black, just as yellow becomes an un¬ 
sightly shade of white under artificial light, and is, therefore, 
always avoided for dinner-table work. 
Before turning from the blue flowers a recent success with 
some may be noteworthy. A large glass fish bowl had its 
edge boldly but not heavily fringed with Fern fronds, through 
and between which the clear, flashing, transparent water was 
visible. Upon the Ferns rested broad circles of Gloire de 
Dijon Roses in clusters ; between the Rose clusters the white 
flower spikes of Ligustrum japonicum projected irregularly, two 
or three being made to droop downwards upon the green fringe, 
and the centre was entirely filled with spikes of single branch¬ 
ing Larkspur, principally of blue shades, with a mixture of 
pink, a few curved deep blue spikes bending charmingly over 
the Roses, while a dozen or two clusters of dried Quaking 
Grass (Briza minima), springing irregularly out of the central 
flowers imparted a pleasing air of sprightliness and finish to 
the whole. This was for a daylight repast. 
Pink and carmine are excellent colours for the groundwork 
of lamp-light decoration, and it should be added they are 
equally effective by day. Coleus Sensation from the rich car¬ 
mine centres of its foliage answers admirably for the dinner- 
s No. M.~-Vot. HI., Third sbribb, 
No. 1720 .«p.Yol. LXYI., Old Series. 
