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S'loml. iBufeaet pmi 3 ^Pictorial Home 
lOnijiuiuoii, 
FOLIAGE FOR CHURCH FLOWERS. 
[In reply to the inquiry of Mitchella Repeats* in August number, 
“ What shall we have for green ? ”] 
“ Deterioration ” lias run low with me, evendown 
to the carrot patch in the vegetable garden. A year 
ago I would have despised it, but now, I confess, 
when I steal out of the house of a Sunday morning— 
short waterproof dress and rubbers on, basket and 
knife in hand—my first visit is to the garden, to line 
my basket with the tall, dark and light, plumy, 
ferny leaves of the carrot- They should he gathered 
while yet the dew is on, or thrown soon into water; 
else, especially if the weather is dry and warm, they 
might wilt before going into the vases. Once in water 
and erect, they will stand a week. 
Let me describe my last arrangement for a mid- 
August Sunday service- The vase came from the 
breakfast-room closet—a tall, large glass fruit-dish, 
filled with wet sand. At first I went to the carrot - 
bed, and next to the poppy and dahlia borders adjoin¬ 
ing ; lastly, I visited the vases that stand in the front 
yard, and the borders cut in the lawn, the brackets 
under the piazza roof, and the vines that cling to the 
trellis and pillars all about the house. There are 
always in summer abundant half-spent trusses of scar¬ 
let and white geraniums needing to be cut, the pods 
and withered parts of which can be trimmed away 
with small, sharp scissors, and the remainder massed 
to excellent advantage. Thus, with my vase and my 
large market-basket filled to overflowing, the trailing 
vines laid on last, I proceed to the chapel, to lay my 
offering on the altar of the Lord. 
Long sprays iff the Clematis, or Virgin’s Bower, are 
placed in the sand, to fall over the front of the dish, 
and, lest they draw out, small stones are laid over the 
ends of the stems. My vine, I judge, is the infertile 
plant which grows much larger and more massive than 
its mate — the vine that runs daintily over thickets, and 
after flowering, is tufted with the silky tails of the seed. 
Back of the Clematis are inserted longer sprays of 
the Madeira Vine, so, when the vase is in place, these 
may he brought forward to come beneath and below, 
their fresh, waxen leaves and graceful fall making a 
fine contrast to the Clematis, which is in fringy 
blossom and white bud to the very tip. Straying out¬ 
side, and over and among these, are the trailing stems 
of that most exquisite of all vines — the Adlumia Cirr- 
hosa, or Mountain Fringe—its fine-cut leaves and ten¬ 
drils, and pale, drooping flowers, showing against the 
tinted wall of the chapel, have a charming effect, 
though in a very large church it might he lost. 
In the middle of the dish are placed a few stiff 
Done, and in a measure to answer my ideal. Three 
hours of my precious Sunday morning are gone; the 
hooks I long to look into must remain shut: but have 
I not heard from afar the song of the wood-thrush 
which would never have reached me save through the 
hush of the early Sabbath hour? Have I not revelled 
in the dewy freshness and fragrance and beauty of the 
garden and lawn, and rested while I worked alone for 
the love of the dear Lord and his followers, in the 
sanctuary? I know how many weary eyes will find 
refreshment in the beauty of the flowers, while the 
spirit is strength! ned by the service, and thus I get 
my compensation. 
The vase for next Sunday is all in my mind. A 
tall silver pitcher in quaint design. From its narrow 
throat ray out spikes of Gladiolus in flame color, and 
shades of cherry and scarlet; above them deep green 
river grasses, which I grow for the the purpose in 
abundance around a fountain, and a few sword-like 
leaves of the Flower-de-Luce or the Cat-Tail (or reed 
mace), Typhee Latifolia. Lower, white day Lilies— 
the early ones, to save the buds, are held by the stem 
against the end of a twig, and damp moss wrapped 
around and fastened by thread-wire; a few of the cool 
Lily leaves or small Caladiums or Cannas, are among 
and below the Lilies, and (lie pitcher, too graceful to 
he hidden, is lightly draped with Maurandia in blue 
and white bloom, Adlumia caught into the handle, 
and one or two English or German Ivy vines. If I 
have enough time and material, I shall hang a large 
pearl snail from the rod of the chandelier near the 
desk, and deck it with looping, falling, straying vines 
and standing ferns of the firmer sort, or with the pretty 
erect leafstalks of the first year’s growth of the Ad¬ 
lumia, and fill in with flowers—sometimes with deep 
pink and white Geraniums, Verbenas and Phloxes, or 
with white only, and it is charming, outlined agaipst 
the wall. 
The long compound deep green leaves of the 
asparagus branches, with the tops cut off — I am not 
yet so deteriorated as to he willing that these should 
show — and in this are set vivid Nasturtiums, falling 
down among the vines, pale Dahlias, Double Poppies, 
in shades from gray-white to deep crimson; scarlet, 
cream, and buff Zinnias; white Drummond Phloxes — 
far more effective than Candytuft, and as easily raised — 
double white stock Gillies, and large, white Asters. 
Among these, green sprays of the more delicate Cle¬ 
matis, and for a background, the carrot leaves, and— 
shall I say it?—the rather graceful spiked panicles of 
the Pigweed (Chenopodium Album), and—tell it not 
to ears polite — the Nettle. Its gray-green blossoms, 
in a panicled spike, looked pretty to me; with its 
leaves cut away, very few would guess what it was, 
and both had a good effect to vary the outlines and 
shades of green. 1 find often how lowliest filings 
may serve highest uses. 
Sumachs, Rhus Typhina,' or 11. glabra, stand well the 
test of the church vase; the Mountain Ash is also 
good, and the leaves, not the sprays, of the American 
Ivy, Ampelopsis quinquefolia, both to droop and 
stand. 
Carrot, Clematis, Madeira Vine, Sumach, Ivy, Ad¬ 
lumia, only ask for a foothold in the soil, and hoe 
culture or no culture, or string or trellis, to furnish 
foliage in prodigal abundance; and ferns with little 
care will flourish in out-of-the-way places. 
After church, the flowers are given to those who 
love them best or need them most. Sometimes, instead 
of a vase, a large brown willow basket is dressed with 
green, and bright bouquets, all ready to give away, laid 
in vase or basket, redressed with some small flowers, 
answer well for the dining-room mantel, or parlor) or 
hall bracket, after church, and so may serve a double 
purpose and twice repay the trouble of arranging. 
I vie Greene. 
MY CALLA LILIES. 
The Calla Lily, that beautiful Nile flower, has 
always been a great favorite of mine. Though not an 
amateur florist, for I never succeed in making anything 
grow, I determined, after due reflection, to undertake 
the management of a Calla Lily which a friend pre¬ 
sented to mo in the fall of the year. As I was not 
gifted myself where flowers were concerned, I always 
envied those people who did not appear to have any 
more brains than I, who could carelessly break off a 
slip here and there from their luxuriant plants, and by 
merely sticking them in the ground find them sprout¬ 
ing in a few days in the most, encouraging manner. 
Still, notwithstanding the drawbacks I had to contend 
with, I took hold of the Calla with a cheerful heart 
and faithfully tended it through the winter. 1 soaked 
it in water daily till it could almost swim, hearing in 
mind the injunction that accompanied the gift: “ Re¬ 
member, the Calla comes from the wet banks of the 
Nile and requires a great deal of water.” Through per¬ 
sistent effort the leaves presented a very green appear¬ 
ance, corresponding to the florist in charge, hut there 
was no sign of a blossom. 
When the warm weather came I determined to treat 
it scientifically, for I had read in different floral articles 
on the subject something like this: “Take 
Calla Lilies, after the cold weather is over, and turn 
them, pots and all, on the sides, so that they will re¬ 
ceive very little sun or rain, and pay no attention to 
them during the summer. In the fall take them up, 
re-pot them, and you will have beautiful flowers 
during the winter.” 
I attended to the first part of this piece of advice, 
hut alas! alas ! I was unable to follow it up. There 
is an Isaac here (I am Rebecca), and soon after my 
Calla was left to the tender mercies of the elements, 
Isaac became suddenly infatuated with gardening. My 
protege being out of sight and out of mind, I had not 
glanced at it for two or three weeks ; then, on going 
to look at it one day, I was quite dismayed to find 
nothing but a broken pot; even the earth had disap¬ 
peared. Isaac was entirely over his “spell”; didn’t 
know anything about it, hut supposed he might have 
thrown it out as useless. I did not cry over spilled 
milk, for I was resolved not to acknowledge a defeat 
until after another trial, and in the fall I went to the 
florist’s, bought a beauty of a Calla, already in hud 
(one bud), and tended it as carefully as the other. As 
the hud did not seem inclined to unfold, I was afraid 
the air of the room did not suit it, so I tried it in nearly 
every room in the house, and finally landed it in the 
lumber-room, in the fourth story. I made pilgrimages 
to it as to a shrine, every day, with a large supply of 
water, which “ affliction sore long time it bore,” and 
my efforts were in vain ; the hud dropped off unopened. 
Still I was not discouraged, I kept at it, and finally 
another hud made its appearance and actually opened 
into a very beautiful Lily, as if under somebody else’s 
care. I felt triumphant. 
When the summer came round again I proposed to 
try the plan once more of turning the pot over on its 
side and leaving my Calla to take care of itself.' 1 was 
pretty sure that Isaac would not meddle with it tins 
time, as a burnt child dreads the fire. But there hap¬ 
pened to he somebody else’s Isaac visiting us soon 
after; he was taking a stroll one day in our 25x80, 
and seeing a pot lying down as if blown over by the 
wind, stood it up again in its normal position, and 
then dug up the plant to see if anything was the mat¬ 
ter with the root, as it did not present a thriving ap¬ 
pearance. Tliis was.’a little too much for my equi- 
nimity — I happened to catch him in the act; I had 
quenched one Isaac, and here was another taking his 
place. 
Now, what I am aiming at in my story is this: 
To find out whether anyone knows what, to do with 
the Isaacs who, when they are not whittling, are apt 
to he in mischief? 1 think 1 can manage the Calla 
Lilies. Elmer Lynnde. 
Philadelphia, Pa. 
Water Lily. —Will any of the kind readers of the 
Cabinet tell me if I can succeed in growing my Water 
Lily (Nymphfea Odorata) in a large basin ot a foun¬ 
tain which has a northern exposure? and oblige 
Mrs. A. K. 
