The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-09-25
DECORATIONS FOR A PARTY.
Some Danger of Depressing the
Guests with Flowers.

Some Danger of Depressing the
Guests with Flowers.
The decoration of a house for an enter
tainme1t is one of the most important
items on the list of preparations There
may be an overabundance. when the guest
will not be impressed, but oppressed, with
the flowers. There may be such hiding Of
walls with pyramids of palms and such
an obliteration of mantels banked with
ferns that there is but very little of the
home to be seen. There have been recep-
tions where the usual hangings have been
taken out to make way for curtains and
portieres of smilax, where the pictures have
been covered with festoons and where gar
lands have left only peeps Of the ceiling
Too much decoration is a great mistake
No hostess should make bower of her
house, but should leave those things for
garden parties and lawn fetes.
In no one particular is the taste Of the
hostess shown to greater advantage or dis
advantage than in the matter of adornment
for her house. Where the matter Of deco
ration can be left to the professional deco
rator care should be taken in the choice of
the latter, for if given carte blanche he is
quite as apt to overdo the matter as the
veriest tyro. If the right kind be chosen
most occasions, when the event is to be
somewhat important, the tastes of the
hostess and of the decorator combined
bring a good result. The hostess will say
what she wants. but the decorator will be
the one to carry out her idea. For many
of the afternoon receptions and teas the
decoration is simply vases of flowers in the
parlors and library, with something unique
f,- - f~.sv<
ribbons and laces and embroideries with
silks and satins may also be brought out
with charming effect For teas the hostess
and her assistants do the decorating For
balls, parties and weddings the florist has
TO lend his sl1illful hand When the order
is given to the florist he has to make his
calculation for the kind of flowers wanted
and the quantity. The green, such as palms.
ferns asparagus vine end smilax, he usu-
ally has in his own conservatories, but if
there Is to be an unusual quantity of
single kind of flower even the entire num-
Der of Conservatives in the city and SUBJ
urbs may not be able to supply all that are
needed. In that case kilograms must be
sent to a circle of florists outside Of the
city, with the number of flowers required.
and each one addressed will in turn send
word as TO how many may be supplied from
his conservatory
Recently, when a large number of a sin
gle variety of flowers was desired kilograms
were sent to New York Washington Balti-
more, CINCINNATI, st. Louis, Louisville. Chi
cago and Detroit, and yet, out of all of that
number, only one could send any of the de-
sired variety, and then not more than
mere handful.
The morning of the event the hostess
must have her mantels cleared the furni-
ture removed from the rooms and merely
large emptiness ready. The florist and
his assistants appear with the material for
decoration in large wagons, or if the
weather is cold, il must be brought in close
boxes. which are brought into the house
and not opened until the doors are shut
for fear they will be chilled After the
party the flowers are taken from the house.
and the hostess has her rooms to brush and
the furniture to set in. A Propylaeum
party has the advantage of having the tur-
mol and disorder out of the house. while
the decoration is done largely by the florist.
Most hostesses like the pleasure of arrang-
ing the flowers for any company given in
their own homes, and they seek new and
original ideas to be one of the surprises
for the guests. Some hostesses will not
even allow the ladies whom they invite to
assist to enter the house until they come
ready for the event. House decoration for
entertainments is feature of every party
large or small.