june i, 1892. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
631 
THE ARTISTIC ARRANGEMENT 
OF PLANTS AND FLOWERS.* 
Had I not a deep love for the artistic and effective 
arrangement of plants and flowers, coupled with 
'some amount of practical knowledge and experience, 
I should not have dared to venture here to offer any 
remarks on the subject. I think many of you will 
agree with me when I say that during the past ten 
years marvellous strides in the way of improvements 
in the artistic and effective arrangement of plants 
and flowers have been made. For myself, I can 
clearly see these changes and rejoice in the know¬ 
ledge of such, and I feel that to those who helped to 
bring about these changes for the better our warmest 
thanks are due. 
In studying our subject we must look straight to 
Nature herself and there learn an object lesson. 
When we take a survey of some of our lovely wood¬ 
land scenery in the summer and autumn months, we 
do not see anything that is conventional or formal. 
On the contrary, everything seems to be arranged 
with a delightful ease ; nothing seems to clash -the 
colours of the flowers bend beautifully, their foliage 
is in perfect harmony, the fine overshadowing trees 
above us, and the mossy ground beneath our feet, all 
tend to make the scene of natural wealth which 
Nature so lavishly provides and one which we can 
enjoy and feast upon. Take again the banks of 
some of our lovely rivers ; the scenes at points are 
enchanting, what with the Iris, Water Lilies, and 
other lovely flowers, Rushes, and river grasses, 
backed up with wild Dog-roses,’ Elders, and many 
other lovely trees. Here we see Nature’s arrange¬ 
ment to perfection ; we get no hard pruning of the 
Rose, no cutting into a pyramid or round shape of 
the Eluer, but we have them presented in their 
natural form with long flowing branches thickly 
studded with beautiful flowers. In rowing up the 
Thames between Caversham and Pangbourne 1 
have often enjoyed the sight of these lovely pictures. 
I am fully persuaded that those who would succeed 
in the artistic and effective arrangement of plants 
and flowers must have a love for that which is 
natural, and strive to follow Nature's laws and ways. 
If we do this then will our march be in the right 
direction. Some people tell me we must work on the 
conventional basis and not follow Nature. I for one 
do not agree with this. When anyone can show me 
that the conventional is more beautiful than the 
natural, I may perhaps then dream of altering 
my opinion. 
Halls and Staircases. 
First, as to plants and flowers for house 
decoration The English as a nation have a love for 
flowers in their homes, and Goddess Flora certainly 
cheers and brightens our dwellings. I am an advo¬ 
cate for the greater use of plants for house decora¬ 
tion than is made of them at present. Take a large 
flail and wide staircase. What a charming appear¬ 
ance flowers and palms have here ; little groups 
being formed in the angles of the staircases, at the 
ends, or in the niches of the corridors, with here and 
there a hanging basket of Ferns. Again in the 
reception, drawing, and dining rooms, plants might 
with advantage be more employed, always taking 
care that the arrangement is in harmony with the 
surroundings. Palms and other light feathery 
plants should always be used to give a light and ar¬ 
tistic effect. The red pots in which the plants are 
growing, should always be hidden from view, either 
with moss, or with Maidenhair or other Ferns. 1 
cannot admire many of those brilliant coloured 
cache-pots which we see so much in use; they 
detract from the appearance of the plant in my 
■opinion. There are some lovely tints to be found in 
art silks which have a charmii.g effect draped round 
the pots. 
Dinner Table Decorations. 
I would like now to allude to dinner table deco¬ 
rations. Here is a great field for the display of 
artistic talent, and there is room for much improve¬ 
ment. As to the design of the epergnes employed, I 
think those good people who design them in nine 
cases out of ten miss their mark. They design some¬ 
thing that is very handsome, and in many cases 
chiste and artistic, but when we come to put flowers 
in them we find that the effect is not what w'e could 
wish. Why is this ? I. believe it is because the 
designer is not a floral artist, and consequently does 
not know what is really required to show off flowers 
• A lecture deliver* d by Mr. George Phipren, Reading, on 
the occas on ot the Great Summer Flower Show at the Inter¬ 
national Horticultural Exhibition, Earl’s Court, May 27th, 1892. 
to perfection. Epergnes in general are not made 
light and artistic enough. 
Presuming that we have obtained the ideal 
epergne, dressing must now occupy our attention. 
The flowers used should be small, delicate in 
colour, and in perfect harmony with each other, and 
of chaste appearance ; larger flowers may be used 
in the base of the epergne. If Maidenhair Fern is 
used it should be of a pale green colour ; trails of 
Smilex are very pretty if carefully and lightly used. 
The Asparagus foliage is also charming and can 
scarcely be dispensed with if we want to get the best 
effects. An epergne, well dressed, is to mv mind 
not often seen. It should have a fairy-like appear¬ 
ance whatever be the flowers used, and look as 
though hands had never touched it; the blending 
of colour and the whole balance would have to be 
perfect to present an ideal arrangement. 
Having thus dealt with the epergne, which is the 
mostimportant part, I will only add that thespecimen 
glasses should be filled to correspond. When one 
has epergnes on the table I never advise having any 
flowering plants whatever but if there is room, that 
lovely Palm, Cocus Weddeliana, may be employed, 
it being the best table Palm we have. 
Church Df.corations. 
This is a large subject and would occupy a whole 
afternoon if we went anything like fully into it. 
There not being two churches alike it is somewhat 
difficult even to give a general outline of what 
course should-be pursued. Plants in pots are not I 
think sufficiently used. In many cases and often¬ 
times a very formal appearance is presented ; but, on 
the other hand I cannot agree with the elaborate use 
of large Palms and placing them on the top of the 
pews, as is sometimes done when decorating for a 
wedding. If Palms are employed it should be to form 
a series of arches up the central aisle from the 
entrance to the communion steps, a wonderful effect 
being thus produced. 
The style of the windows should influence and 
guide the artistic treatment of the interior. Trails 
of Ivy seem indispensable. Arums never seem so 
much in character as when employed in decorating 
a church. In some churches I have seen used 
small zinc flower holders containing water and 
supports for the flowers and ferns ; these, effectively 
filled and hung around the choir stalls, pulpit, &c., 
produce a pretty effect. Ferns may be extensively 
used in this work; the common wild Fern, Asplenium 
Felix-mas seems especially adapted, although it may 
be a little stiff. Coloured flowers must be used with 
great caution, in fact scarlet is about the only one 
that should be employed to any extent, though 
harmonies in yellow are popular. 
Many ladies seem to have a special love for 
church decorations In their hands frequently we see 
very pretty results, but sometimes there is a want of 
harmony, owing perhaps to the fact that one does 
this portion, and another that, and so on. Would it 
not be better that in these cases if a harmonious plan 
were first thought out, and then all help to bring it 
to completion. 
Artistic Arrangement ok Flower Shows. 
I maintain that here there is room for great improve¬ 
ment. People have said to me, " I do not care to go 
to the flower show, there is so much sameness in it." 
I regret to acknowledge there is a great amount of 
truth in this ; but it should not be so when we con¬ 
sider for one moment the inexhaustible supply of artis¬ 
tic material that we have to deal with. One of the first 
faults I have to find is that compilers of schedules 
will persist in copying each other. Why not each try 
to introduce some amount of originality, to strikeout 
a fresh line, and to get out of the old rut ? " But 
suppose we do," some one says, others will follow, 
and then we shall soon get into the same state of 
sameness." All I have to say is this—keep striking 
out fresh lines, and the more that is done the more 
openings will be before us. 
Having thus referred to the schedule compilers, 
let us now take a look at the show itself. What is 
the usual feeling experienced ? I well know what it 
is with me ; it is this—what dreadful formality runs 
through the whole. At times we have so many 
hundreds of flowers—of Dahlias, it maybe—set up in 
prim green painted boxes, with not a vestage of 
foliage visible, and these staged upon lengths of 
straight tables. At other times we have fine Asters 
and Zinnias, staged up in like manner. Then again 
at some shows we have the lovely Carnations, many 
of which flowers have been mutilated and dressed 
and are now set up in paper collars, staged in the 
orthodox green box, and placed also on straight 
tables. What a pity it is that these lovely flowers 
should be so presented to the public What is there 
that is artistic to be seen here ? 
fake the queen of autumn flowers, the noble 
Chr\ santhemum — how are these flowers usually 
presented to us ? They are placed in boxes, and 
these boxes have to be made to a required size—so 
many inches long, wide, and high—and if your 
flowers happen to be large and extra fine you must 
crush them into the box. Looking last season at a 
magnificent lot of flowers thus ruthlessly set up, I 
could not help exclaiming, "What a failure." The 
public look to horticulturists to lead them in the 
matter of artistic and effective arrangement of plants 
and flowers ; but what, I ask, is the object lesson 
often given by this body in this respect ? It certainlv 
is not what it should be. I do not say one word 
about the flowers themselves, because they at most 
times represent the highest state of cultivation ; it is 
the inartistic manner in which they are presented to 
the public that I complain of 
Specimen flowers of Chrysanthemums lend them 
selves admirably to artistic treatment. In staging, 
for instance, say one has 36 Japanese blooms to set 
up, and 4 ft. or 5 ft. run of table space is allowed for 
the purpose, I would dispense with the green box at 
once ; have the flowers cut with long stalks, varying 
from g in. to 2 ft. in length ; each flower should be 
placed in a receptacle, which would hold water and 
be heavy enough at the base to prevent overturning , 
the flower should also have some sort of support to 
maintain it in an erect position. 
Having your fl nvers thus prepared a number of 
suitable foliage plants should be utilised, say light 
feathery Palms, about 3 ft. high, to serve as a back¬ 
ground. The flowers are then artistically grouped 
together with small foliage plants — Maidenhair 
Ferns, Asparagus, etc., and edged with Isolepis and 
Fanicum, so that the whole of the table space shall 
be hidden by this groundwork of plants and Ferns , 
the flowers rising from this would present a marked 
contrast to the formal box style, and I venture to 
predict the public would appreciate the change. Of 
course, this will mean a little more work, but I do 
not think the man who has looked after his plants 
for well nigh twelve months woul 1 grudge that. 
Time will not permit me to go into detail of an artistic 
setting uo of each of the classes of flowers, which 
are usually found staged in the green boxes, but the 
instance I have given of the Chrysanthemum will 
give you some idea of a more artistic treatment 
Stove and Greenhouse Plants. 
While on this subject of flower shows, perhaps 1 
may be allowed incidentally to say a word or two in 
respect to stove and greenhouse plants in flower. 
These are usually presented on balloons of faultless 
shape and each shoot tied into a mathematically 
accurate position, forming in my opinion one huge 
contortion, as useless as it is ugly. Could not these 
be trained in a more pyramid form, and let the shoots 
have a natural sway, not be tied closely in. I 
remember seeing one such plant at a show. a 
Bouganvillea, I think it was. It formed a picture 
and favourable comment was freely bestowed upon 
it. That some plants lend themselves better to this 
treatment than others I am fully aware of, but the 
change to the more natural would be a step in the 
right direction. 
Decorative Groups 
The arrangement of groups of plants at exhibitions 
has, in the last few years, wonderfully improved ; a 
more natural idea has been brought about: ugly 
banks of plants are disappearing and the light and 
artistic style of treatment is taking its place. One 
only has to visit our metropolitan or large provincial 
shows to gain object lessons, from which one can 
gather more practical knowdedge in five minutes than 
one could learn from any amount of papers and 
books. The arrangement of flowers in baskets, 
bouquets, vases, etc., at country flower shows nearly 
always exhibit almost an entire lack of knowledge of 
even the rudiments of taste. At some shows at 
which I have judged I have found a great difficulty 
in awarding the prizes, and after deciding w hich is 
the least ugly — for ugly they all are—the first prize 
has to be bestowed on a most unworthy object. 
Now, how does this act ? Why simply in this w ay. 
The people seem to look upon this first prize ugly 
thing—be it bouquet, basket, or vase—as an ideal, and 
next year when the show comes round again all strix e 
