Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1897-05-29
RECEPTACLES FOR PLANTS.
Large Wooden Fern Bowls and Vases
Are Effective.

Are Effective.
In either wing-rooms halls
where the color is sufficiently subdued
well-grown plants of the pretty yellow
Genista, set in large Tokana bi-ware
pots and on raised stands of the same
faience, or any dark oriental pedestal,
give very glowing and brilliant deco
ration. Very deep blue jardinieres
filled with growing plants of the dwarf
japanese spirea, with its dark. peculiar
leaves and creamy, tapering spikes of
bloom. are very lovely
Shallowy tints painted green. and
containing wet mud or well-packed
sphagnum fitted on to an ordinary old
fashioned mantelpiece make an excel
lent basis for effective arrangements,
especially if, as is so often the case in
cid house, a mirror covers the chimney
piece. They should have back five
inches high and sides tapering down to
two and a half inches in front. a coarse
network of galvanized wire helps to
support weak-stemmed or dropping
flowers, and holes clipped in this net
ting at intervals will admit pots which
vary the surface gracefully
Gilded baskets are also very useful
and effective. At any basket-shop you
can choose graceful and beautiful
shapes and have them gilded OF painted
in white and gold; let the tinsmith fit
a movable lining to hold water and you
have most fascinating. unconventional
repositories for your flowers. The green
rush baskets so prepared to hold wa
ter are also most satisfactory and har-
monious, and those who have only seen
them bedecked with glittering satin
ribbons ready for prese ntation on the
steamers over the foot-lights can
scarcely credit the peculiar natural
effects they have when treated artistic
ally by a home f1ower-lover. They can
be made to look as if you had piuczed
some rushes with the flowers and
woven them together to suit your pur-
pose then and there.
Common wooden bowls can be made
into extraordinarily pretty receptacles
for flowers by coating them with glue
and pressing upon their sides pieces OF
the green "velvet' moss now so beauti-
full in the woods. The moss should be
lifted very carefully and as little
broken as possible. If done carefully,
though the moss will lose some of its
vivdness,it will continue green all sum-
mer. y large bowl, say ten inches in
diameter hung in a French window"
or in archway by four green cords,
and filled gracefully with ferns and
roses or any summer growth, makes a
beautiful object in cottages of moder-
ate pretensions. 1t should hang low
enough for the flowers to be on level
with the eye. In quaint cottage, the
descriptive name of which was Ivy
Nook bowl of this sort, but doubt
less IA inches in diameter, hung from
the center of the low-ceiled parlor, the
windows of which We're diamond-paned.
Quaintness and simplicity were the
chief characteristics of this room. and
this swinging greer cup. with the large
mass of flowers it so easily held, was
very harmonious. Filled with clusters
of the Japanese monthly honeysucllle
and mignonette, and bordered with
wild ferns. it was really unique and
very beautiful.
For midsummer tables ferns are al
ways pretty, and small vases holding
each four-inch pot OF ''maiden's hair
make an ever fresh and cool-iooking
adornment. On astately old table of
nearly black rosewood, last June, I
greatly admired 4 large center silver
vase of Greek form, in which ferns We're
growing, while scattered about the
table were little pothoIders of white
earthenwaIe made in imitation of osier
baskets, with well-grown small plants
Of native ''maiden's hair taken from a
ueighboring wood.-N. Y Post