The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1890-10-01
BOuauet Making.

In the making of every kind of
bouquets we may take some most useful
lessons from the commercial florist.
Where flowers have money value it
of course increases the profits to be
able to make any given quantity go as
far as possible. And yet the spreading
out of blooms may be carried far with
no disadvantage to the buyer. The
crowded. Where the stems of flowers
are short, or the object is to tie a flat
or rounded hand bouquet, how is one to
proceed in spreading the blooms?
Let us watch the commercial florist
tie up nosegay. In the first place, if
any flowers are too slender to be stiflly
supported by their own stems, or the
stems of which are very short, he sup
plies wire to make up the deficiency
of nature. Then he commences his
bouquet by selecting a good bold flower
such as a rose, lily or camellia for the
center, which he winds with strong
thread on to thin stiff twig. Around
this center flower he then places few
leaves and outside of these, to be an
inch or two below the flower, he binds
sufficient moss so that when a circle of
flowers is added they will not unduly
crowd or overlap the first flower. 1t is
usual to start with smaller individuals
or tresses of flowers in this front line
outward and place few light sprays of
bloom between them to stand out boldly
above the regular surface next another
ring of moss is bound on the center
stem, after which more green is applied
~; Of Il Df
jecting sprays. In this manner the
bouquet is proceeded with, until suit
able size is reached, when it may be
finished by the addition of an edging
of pleasing foliage, as smilax, fern rose,
or camellia leaves. In the making of a
bouquet thus the use of variety of
flowers is assumed. But the style now
very much and very sensibly in vogue
is the use of but single kind of flowers
in bouquet; it may be of roses, sweet
peas, mignonette, violets, pansies, tu-
lips, lilies, or other kinds. In this case
the course to employ for preventing
crowding is not dissimilar from that we
quoted. But to avoid stiff and mo-
notonous appearance in the bouquet
pains must be taken to have some
flowers stand out considerably beyond
the others and yet not be crowded, a
matter easily effected by the use of
plenty Of moss back of the inner line of
flowers for keeping the arrangement
open. In all large arrangements of
flowers roses may be used with their
own buds and foliage to stand boldly
beyond the general mass of blooms, be
they roses or other flowers; this at once
breaks up the formal and heavy APP
pearance which otherwise would pre-
vail. Simplicity should be aimed at in
every arrangement of flowers. To en-
ploy for instance, more than two or three
shades of flowers in the same bunch
one is sure to clash and kill the others
In two shades of the same color we may
effect lovely combination. Take, for
instance, pink shade and deep Grim
son or maroon as found in roses, carna
tions, hollyhocks, asters, etc. For {
BRIDES bouquet it follows without say
ing that white flowers, the choicest
kinds and the purest in color, are the
proper thing. Still it is no strange oc
curence nowadays for florists to re-
ceive orders for such bouquets made Of
delicate tints just off from white.