December 6 , 1913 . 
THE GARDENERS* MAGAZINE. 
921 
FLORAL DECORATIONS FOR THE | 
DINNER TABLE. | 
In most private establishments the de¬ 
coration of the dinner-table is an important 
matter on special oocasions. and necessi¬ 
tates the cultivation of a variety of flowers. 
The style of decoration that finds most 
favour in a gentlemans residence is very 
different from the displays so frequently 
seen at flower shows. As a general rule of extra\mgaiic©, 
table decorations possess a great similarity, 
and so it is often desii'able to break away 
from conventional lines as far as is con¬ 
sistent with good taste. Employers invari. 
ably appreciate a novel arrangement and 
a change in the usual mode of decoration. 
It is customary to keep the decorations 
fairly low, as diners prefer to see one an¬ 
other across the table; but if some of the 
flowers are to Ibe arranged on a higher level 
the vases used should be tall enough to 
admit of an uninterrupted view l^neath 
them. When decorating a large table it is 
desirable to place an imposing ari'angement 
in the centre, and in the case of a very 
long table a series of such displays is es¬ 
sential, while the intermediate spaces 
should be filled in with low vases. 
Various receptacles are utilised for the 
flo-wers; and bowls and narrow vases are 
the best. As a rule the latter should be 
about seven inches high, and they may be 
of plain glass, siWer, or silver-gilt, and 
the flowers must be chosen to give the best 
effect with whichever kind is used. A 
bright colour, like scarlet, is especially 
effective, but when it is used plain glass 
or silver vases are most suitable, and the 
latter are preferred. When silver-gilt 
vases are employed colours of a fairly soft 
shade will be found most pleasing. 
The arrangement of flowers in bowls is a 
difficult matter without the assistance of 
some artificial means of support, and for 
this purpose small \”ases or test tubes 
pack^ lightly in the bowls with moss 
answer admirably, and are much better 
than the use of a wire framework. Lightness 
cf arrangement is most essential, and it is 
important to have the blooms on different 
levels to heighten this effect. When deal¬ 
ing with flowers which have rather short 
stems it is necessary to wire some of 
them, and the green zinc tubes on long 
wires are a useful aid. Very frequently 
the foliage belonging to the flowers em¬ 
ployed can be used, but w^hen this is not 
po^ible Asparagus Sprengeri and maiden¬ 
hair fern are suitable to associate with 
most indoor flowers. 
A table decorated with one colour only 
is always effective, but mixed colours 
Bi>gonia Gloire de Lorraine and otlier 
wdnter-flowering begonias are c^spc'cially 
suitable owing to their bright colour 
and free fltuvering habit. When the^e 
are iistni whole plants .vhoiihl be 
pla^xHl in silver and their pots 
hidden with fresh moss. C^Uantheii 
are among the most glorious of winter¬ 
flowering Huhj«y*ta, and tliey make a ideally 
hamlsoine table d^xvirution, hut should onlv 
not is largely a mattw of taste; in certain be usetl when tin' table is of large si*e. Some 
cases it is a decided improvement, but ntit gocxi spikt's of Aaparagiis Sprengeri slioiihl 
in others. When tract'ry on the cloth ia Ik* inUuTiux«l with the flowers, ami a little 
practised it is desirable to let it be quite smilax plac’ed on tlie cloth is an imnroxe- 
informal in character, and it is lietter to mcnt. Tulips in variety foi*m an erfi'ctive 
a x^ery little rather than ei*r on the side decoration, and are improvix] if lily of thi* 
valley ia umxI with th«nn. 
the DOUBLE-FLOWERED HORSE UHESTNUT. 
(.®sculu8 Hippocastanum floie-pleno.) 
rften employ^ with excellent r^lte. As perpetual carnatians extremely 
a general rule it is not advisable to use cit ions during the win- 
more t^n three ooloure together unless „,ontlis. Tables decorated 
a selection of outdoor flowers and foh^e P ^ colour, or with mixed 
>8 available, when a decorator with artis- almost equally attractive, and 
tastes can blend a combination of ^ith greater appre- 
c-oloura in a pleasing and ”^tion^ 1 liitle carnation foliage should 
A- only two colours are used it is well to ciat . floxxers, together 
produce a direct oontrast-^uch, for ex- ^;^„ery that is r^uired. 
ample, as red and white, or pale pmk and wi^ J ^ y ^.j,rysaitthemums 
^ f"Tmiienti:s^aWef^rtabl7d^nitions. 
OMnations or sweet pe^. of the more showy deco- 
The way the vases are placed on the table an ^ Salvias make a bright 
s almost an art in itself, and it IS astonish- ^ associate very well with 
g how different is the effect produced ^ hyacinths or lily of the valley. 
Poineettius make a splomlid table for 
Christmas time, hut when they are out 
plunge the stems in hot xvater to prevent 
bleeding. A little holly should W pla<xHl 
on the cloth, and liesides using small sprax’s 
of it a nox'el plan is to take single leaves, 
place lieiTies on the spines, and lay them on 
the table in an informal manner. Few^ 
people care to use foliage plants for the 
table now, but symmetrical flowering plants 
are a great help at times, and may be used 
A table decorated with coloured foliage 
in the autumn is inxariably admired, as it 
is a departure from the usual style^ and 
some of the colours rival the most bril¬ 
liant flowers. J. Gardner. 
Batsford Park Gardens. 
