Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1883-09-19
Natures Ornaments.

Ii yGu have a corner that Is too fa
away from the centre of the room Il
form a soclable position for a seat, get .
large trumpet shaped vase (they may be
had to the height of six feet, and almost
of any price,, and fill it with branche:
OF horse chestnut. With a few OF the
largest aud coarsest of our woodland
ferns arranged so as TO hang over the
sides of the vase, and some bullrushes
stretching their long brown heads high
above the chestnut foliage, your bare
corner will become thing of beauty
instead of an eye-sore. These vases So
filed may also be placed with advan-
tage to show above the pretty japanese
screens thst abound in modern drawing
rooms. At this season all water plants
such as yellow irises Commonly called
flags), rushes, reeds. etc. Arc in their
prime, and nothing locks better in Il
large vase, or more especially Japan
csc jar, than any OF these, or q variety
prettIly grouped. Taking care 10 arrange
your flowers as much after the fashion of
nature as possible, Is the golden rule Of all
successful h)ral decorations Thus, sup
posing the above mined aquatic plants
are used, and, in addition, water lilies.
forge -me-Dots and ragged robins, which
are all low growing flowers, and you are
ding to arrange them in shallow wooden
tub filled with damp ssnd-place the
water lilies around the edge, and again,
the ragged robins, mixing with them any
Of the leaves of about the same height
which may be found in abundance In
marshy places: behind these, again, group
yoIr irises. with their sword Ike leaves.
and, as a centre, have mass of bullrushes
and reeds. wl.h common Iushes TO give
nghtness TO the whole, avoiding any stiff
ness in the arrangement by placing good
many Towering grasses here and there over
the whole, allowing them to top the
forget-me no,s and water-lilies by as much
as they would do when growing naturally.
For high decorations use tall-growing
flowers, for low ones such as are stunted
in their growth. Growing Ivy trained
over a cane screen has often been recon-
mended as decoration; but owing to the
necessary damp earth and the likelihood
of creeping things {such as earwlgs)
accompanying 1t, cannot say that 1t is a
good thing. Long gathered sprays OF Ivy
look Just as we'll, and can be kept clean a
long tine by sponglng them every day.
In gathering ferns Laltenhair especially,
C are must be taken 70 select the old Ironds,
and they will last twice as long if part OF
the frond as well as the stalk Is in the
water; it is also good thing to immerse
them every day (over head) In water.
Such Is often used instead of mere water
to arrange flowers in; and when this is the
case it must De looked at every day, as II
is apt to dry very quickly. Small baskets
gllded with Judson's gold paint (Which is
clear and effective), and with tins made to
fit them, are very pretty, either in the
drawing-room or on dinner table. The
small round baskets, formed like gypsy
Kettles, and which can generally be sup
Piled with broken cup or claret glass as
a fiower-hold instead of a shaped tin, are
very effective, when arranged as we so
often used 10 see them-pendant IRON
three sticks, kettle-tashIon, the whole
being covered with silver paper, or, better
still, gilt. The small baskets In which we
buy strawberries are Useful for holding
flowers, either painted or gilt, and
garden saucer does very well 10 hold the
wafer. Bottle baskets divided into COM
partmen,s about six inches 80 lare look
well with small flower pot in each COM
partment and an ivy trail round the
handle. Creeping plants are not half
enough used for house decoration