Leaves and stems may be: 1—radiating, as though 
from a central point. 2—Parallel, arranged vertically 
as though growing. 
Beautiful arrangements should have _ distinction. 
They may get it: 1—by the use of interesting or dra- 
matic line. 2—by original color combination. 3—by 
the use of color and line of such simplicity as to pro- 
duce quiet harmony. 4—by the combination of famil- 
iar material in new and striking ways. 5—by the use 
of new or unusual material. 
Steps in putting an arrangement together: 1—get a 
mental picture of what you propose to do. 2—select 
materials and container. Usually one or the other 
serve as your starting point. 3—build your frame work. 
Put in foundation lines first. Silhouette is of utmost 
importance here. Criticize your work, make any nec- 
essary changes. 4—fill in details. Use restraint. 5— 
make final evaluation. 6—place your finished arrange- 
ment where it is to stay. Leave it alone. If you feel 
the need to keep changing it here and there, it is prob- 
ably lacking in balance or proportion. 
Positive steps for beginners to do: 1—be sure your 
material is fresh and in good condition. 2—have your 
plant material well hardened off in advance. 3—select 
a container which will hold enough water to keep the 
plant material fresh. 4—use a conservative container 
unless you have a more siriking one that is exactly 
right. 5—when using a brilliantly colored or conspic- 
uously shaped container, start with it and select flow- 
ers and foliage to harmonize. 6—see that your holders 
are adequate. 7—make yourself comfortable. Have 
good vols handy. 8—take plenty of time. Enjoy 
yourself. 9—when you are almost done, stand off and 
look for mistakes. 10—when result is satisfactory, 
leave it alone. Know when to stop. 
Things not to do: 1—think you must use all your 
material. 2—crowd your material. 3—leave an open 
space near the middle of the arrangement. 4—ar- 
range your materials so loosely that they appear to be 
falling out of the container. 5—alternate your colors 
so as to make a spotty effect. 6—use flowers which are 
all the same shape. Variety in form is more pleasing. 
7—be afraid to use conventional materials. 8—hesitate 
to cut off unwanted leaves and stems. 9—copy other 
people’s arrangements. 10—be afraid to use strong 
lines and bright colors. 
This is necessarily not a complete guide to flower 
arrangement, but it will serve as a sound foundation 
on which to begin—and one may go on learning from 
experience and observation. 
The gladiolus is an especially valuable flower for the 
arranger. It lends itself perfectly to either line or 
mass groupings. The slender bud spikes, the half- 
opened blooms, and the fully-opened flowers give us a 
diversity in form and size, while their sturdy stems and 
long lasting qualities make them particularly usable. 
Recent improvements in shape and size have made the 
modern gladiolus a most versatile bloom. We may 
have miniatures, frilled-petalled forms, or mammoth 
florets that are ideal material for the arranger. Used 
with their own foliage or other accessory greens, they 
are effective when used alone or when combined with 
other seasonable flowering materials or berries to con- 
trast or blend with their forms and colors. 
A Starker Arrangement of GOLD with Daylilies and Gladiolus Foliage. 
