The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-03-20
Easter to Be Ushered in by Great
Abundance and Variety Of Flowers
Florists Reverse the Seasons and Have Their u
Great Harvest in the Spring. Finding Custom
ers Then Who Buy at No Other Time Of the
Year..Lilies Hyacinths, Tulips and Roses -
Among the Blossoms in Greatest Demand,

on the sizes of the plant which range from
one foot to three across the top the cost
being anywhere from $3.50 to Sl5. Some years
ago they were not consider ed an Easter
flower. but their popularity OF late years
mas been remarkable and the demand for
them THIS year Is going 10 De very great.
The florists say that this is no prophecy,
Tor they have already had great many
calls for them.
Easter flowers are not put up into tight
punches, but are arranged loosely, and this
does not only apply 10 punches of flowers,
but also TO the designs, of which they are
many. Those who partial TO baskets OF
flowers will have a great variety 10 choose
from. The other day in a local florists es-
adjustment they were unpacklng their
stock of baskets, and as he went them
the florist said
THE custom of having baskets of flow
ers sitting around the rooms or ones home
has been growing steadily for number
of years and from all indica tons / think
that this season Will surpasS any that
have ever had for this special kind of
trade. They must be of odd shape to be
popular, and just the square ordinary bas
ket has gone entirely out. These flower
baskets, like everything else that is pop
ular, change style from one season to an
other. Now, for this year they are going
TO be extremely odd. Take for instance,
this three-cornered fiat basket; il is called
Ia tamper. 1t Is, in fact, nothing more than
three small round baskets made into one.
You notice also that the handle is very
high. This is one of the most popular baS-
kets l have and filled with a variety of
bright, colored flowers it is very pretty
Then have another basket here which
is more appropriate for the occasion. 1t
is made on the order of an egg shell with
one end broken off. 1t is not large, so il
will look much better filled with smaller
flowers. This makes a very pretty table
decoration and L sell great many of them
Then here is fiat basket which is used
for plants of bright colored flowers This
is used more for the decorations in the
parlor and the drawing rooms and makes
a very pretty object sitting in a room on
a bright Easter day.
I'VE have Also" the florist continued
favOrs of various kinds which are used
at the dinners given during the Easter
season, and many people have them on
their tables at the family dinner given on
Easter Sunday. The principal one of these
faVors, and most in demand is a small
chicken whose head is perforated and in
these small holes violets thrust; be-
sides these few baskets and favors that l
have mentioned are a great number of
others, and a purchaser can get almost
anything he wants in this line"
FOR HOUSE DECORATION.
Many of the flowers bought at Easter
time are used as house and dining table
decorations. This work is beginning to
form one of the greatest parts of the for
lists occupation. Many people in giving
their orders say they want their rooms
decorated appropriately and leave the selec-
ton of the flowers entirely to the florist.
The hard part of this work is that it has
to be done very quickly, because if it is
undertaken too far ahead of the time the
flowers will begin to fade. Therefore the
florist cannot begin his work of this kind
until the day before Easter, and it often
rushes him to get it all completed by the
time it is wanted. Church decorations also
come in for a large part of his work at this
period. So to be ready for Easter, the
florist has to employ a larger force of COM
petent men, and they are required to labor
all day and night TO get the work COM
| peted.
This year great part of the transient
trade will be taken off the hands of the
stores sell cut flowers. These, for the most
one or two flowers and do not wish to go
TO the florist for them. They, however, have
a good class of custom and their floral de-
partmentS are getting more popular all the
time and they are especially convenient for
women who frequent these stores.
The most appropriate and popular flower,
OF course, for Easter is the Easter lily, and
many thousands of them are shipped each
year from the Bermuda islands to this
country about Easter season. On these
islands are large farms on which are raised
nothing else but these flowers. and the traf-
fic in them has got to be quite extensive.
Japan is a country also noted for it's Easter
lilies and it is said that the finest in the
world come from there. This year, how
ever, the supply from there is going to be