December 21, 1893. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
647 
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CHURCH DECORATIONS AT 
CHRISTMAS. 
A S the festive season of Christmas approaches, bringing with it 
feelings of universal gladness, long-parted friends and relations 
gather once more around the family board, or perchance lift up 
their voices in thankfulness and praise within the sacred walls of 
the church of childhood’s days. On these befitting occasions it has 
long been the widespread custom to embellish the interior of our 
sacred edifices with evergreens, berries, and flowers. In so many 
instances the execution of the lion’s share of this kind of work falls 
to the gardeners that it may without further explanation be classed 
among their multitudinous duties. Having had a considerable 
amount of experience at this work, I trust a few remarks on the 
subject may prove useful to many at the present time. 
A prominent feature in church decorations, especially in those 
instances in which stately pillars or beautiful Gothicarches abound, is 
produced by tracing the outlines of the latter, and encircling the 
former, with wreaths made of evergreens of various description?! 
These, if well made, are always effective, even if many kinds of 
foliage are mixed up in an indiscriminate fashion ; but in order to 
avoid sameness and produce distinct features, if the work is carried 
out on an extensive scale, certain portions of it should be done with 
one or two kinds of foliage only, and others with entirely different 
material. In this way special features are created, for the lack of 
which many examples of decorative work are greatly marred. I 
will here give a few illustrations of my meaning, which of course 
are not advanced as the only methods of securing the desired effect, 
but are given to show the plan of action by which monotony may 
be avoided. 
The dark coloured oak of which choir stalls are frequently 
constructed may be effectively decorated by employing Variegated 
Holly or shoots of Aucuba japonica formed into wreaths and 
fastened around their outlines. Stone pillars, which are generally 
light in colour, look exceedingly well if encircled with wreaths 
made of sprays of Ivy surmounted with berries. Holly with 
green leaves and red berries, or a combination of Portugal Laurel 
and light sprays of Yew, are equally suitable for the purpose. The 
angles formed by the outer walls and ceiling require as a rule 
the heaviest wreaths. These may, therefore, have a great variety 
of materials employed in their construction. Laurel, Yew, 
Box and Holly answer the purpose admirably. Whenever there 
is a considerable amount of bare wall below the base of the roof, 
wreath festoons should be arranged from it at intervals of from 
3 to 6 feet. The wreaths to fit in the angles ought to be made 
flat ; those for festooning round, and be so arranged that they are 
fullest in the centre, gradually tapering to the point where they 
are fastened to the wreath above. Arches which have a series of 
grooves cut in the stone of which they are made, generally require 
a rather heavy wreath fitted round the outer groove, and a much 
smaller and round one made of Box, arranged in the groove nearest 
the under side of the arch. 
A most finished way of decorating large arches is to treat them 
as already described, and in addition procure stout iron rods, have 
them bent to the shape of the arch, and by means of iron clips at 
the base and apex fasten them in position so as to join the frame¬ 
work of another arch 1 foot below the arch proper. Before 
placing finally in position, these irons should be covered with Holly 
or other stiff evergreen, and when fitted up have baskets of Ferns 
No. 704.—VoL. XXVII., Third Series. 
suspended from the apex and base. The effect is then exceedingly 
good. Those who have not yet tried this plan, I would strongly 
advise to do so. 
In making wreaths of all kinds the thickness of string should 
be regulated by the diameter of the wreath to be made, and in all 
instances I prefer wire for binding the shoots to the string. The 
kind of wire obtained on reels is scarcely thick enough for the 
purpose, but I have no difficulty in obtaining rolls of iron or brass 
wire of exactly the right thickness. It is wound on reels as 
required, being much handier for use in that form. Bunches of 
Helichrysums of various colours are extremely useful for fastening 
at intervals along wreaths in the most conspicuous positions. 
One of the most tedious branches of the work of church 
decoration is that of arranging letters in the form of texts on 
substances of various descriptions and shapes. A framework of 
board with scarlet cloth stretched across it is a favourite and effective 
method of forming the groundwork, and letters cut out of stiff white 
paper look well upon such a groundwork. I used to find it a 
rather difficult matter to cut out the letters in good form ; that 
difficulty has, however, been overcome by getting the printers to 
stamp the required letters on paper with their largest type, it is 
then an easy matter to cut them out correctly. Perhaps the most 
effective white letters are those formed of cotton wool which has 
been split asunder, so as to leave a rough side to the front. When 
these are used I cut out the letters in paper, and then mark the 
wool under them. Letters may also be formed of gilt paper, as well 
as paper of other colours. Holly berries. Holly leaves, or leaves of 
many kinds, gum, cotton, or tacks being the material employed for 
securing them to the groundwork. Holly leaves or small twigs of 
Yew are generally employed to form a border round devices on 
which texts have been fastened. Rough w'ooden frameworks 
formed of laths crossing each other in such a way as to form a 
series of diamonds, if covered with Laurel leaves, which may easily 
be fastened with tin tacks, provide an easy method of covering bare 
spaces of wall, or for making temporary screens of an ornamental 
character. Holly berries or bunches of Immortelles should be 
fastened at the points where the laths cross each other. 
The pulpit and lectern require especial attention in the matter 
of decoration. To do this effectwely whatever materials are employed 
for the purpose should be so arranged as to trace the outline of 
panels and beading. Strips of brown paper or canvas are the most 
generally useful for fastening the materials to. I have some¬ 
times secured an excellent effect by covering such strips with 
Holly or Laurel leaves, and then dotting them at intervals 
alternately with small circles of red berries and tufts of grey 
lichen (obtained from old Apple trees), the centre of the panels 
being covered with cotton wool, supporting interwoven letters 
worked out in red Holly berries. The berries and lichen are 
easily fastened in position by the aid of rather thick gum. 
Many fine examples of windows of various types may be met 
with in our ancient Churches. These when tastefully decorated add 
much to the general effect from an artistic point of view, yet 
strange to say, the embellishment of windows usually receives but 
scant attention, beyond encircling the surrounding rim of wall in 
a wreath of evergreens. When all of them cannot be well done, 
a few of the most prominent should receive special attention. 
The largest and most conspicuous is usually immediately above 
the Communion Table. This has generally a wide sloping ledge, 
upon which a most pleasing effect may be produced by the employ¬ 
ment of cut flowers and pot plants. A shallow tin about 2 inches 
wide should be fitted along the front of the ledge, and a ground¬ 
work of Ferns in pots be arranged over the remaining space. This 
groundwork may be dotted thinly with graceful Palms, some plants 
of Poinsettia, or Scarlet Pelargoniums, and Roman Hyacinths ; but 
few will be required even for the largest windows, as overcrowding is 
the great thing to avoid. This finished, the tins may be filled with 
water and arranged with flowers and greenery ; scarlet is the most 
No. 2360.— VoL, LXXXIX., Old Series. 
