Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-01-09
ARRANGING ltL0WERS
Real Artists Are1 Born, Not
Always Taught.
WOMAN'S LIGHT TOUCH
HINTS TO BRING ABOUT GOOD
RESULTSo;
Well-Selected Receptacles Are Neces-
sary for Best Ell.
fects.
WOMAN'S LIGHT TOUCH
Written 70. The Evening Star.


this wintry time of the year. In summer
when fields and gardens run riot with beau
tfui blossoms and exquisite blendings of
color greet the eye at every turn the very
prodigality of nature in the floral kingdom
makes her offerings less appreciated than
when she is more chary Of her gifts; another
instance Of blessings Frightening as they
take their fight. But when one is reduced
Tor decorative purposes to a few dozen
roses and growing plant or two ones love
OF and ability to arrange flowers is put to
the test. and the best efforts are thoroughly
appreciated
1t Is very evident fact that the art of
arranging flowers is born I'm the lucky pos
SCISSOR and not acquired. The eye may be
framed with regard to color and combina-
lions which are altogether harmonious. vet
the happy faculty of making a pleasing
mower picture does not CONSIST In simply
pultlhg together colors that harmonic with
eaSH other. Ihere is certain indescrtb-
able something that makes all the differ
ence between a born bouquet fashioner and
the one whose art Is acquired. This differ
t s ~ dimcuit to define in words, but per-
maps the best attempt at an explanation
would be to call it an intuitive taste. one
Wmcn IN some mysterious way makes no
MISTAKES, as the merely cultivated one is
APP 70 40. 1t Is somewhat Similar to the
hundred times more attractive in a calico
gown than another in q Paris creation.
Granting That the gift of arranging flow
ers Is bestowed at birth by benef1cent
larry tnls TACT should not deter any woman
from cultivating the charming knack. There
is nothing which affords more general en-
Joyment not only to the artist herself. but
10 al her friends, than the beautiful ar
'ahseneht or flowers in the home.
Japanese Artists.
Inc japanese excel in this particular cult
ana their innate love Of flowers and SIM
pllclty OF treatment form the secret Of s1c-
cess In the land of cherry blossoms So de-
voted to flowers are these oriental oeonla
that a feast of cherry blossoms in honor or
me towering Of this fruit Is celebrated by
The emperor and less exalted ones ali ovor
Japan. When the wistaria and chrvs,,tha
mum are in bloom it Is customary for mar
,IeS TO hire boats and enjoy ''tsuk mi /" or
i LOOKING at the Towering landscape by moon
light. Even the lower classes have this
love OF the beautiful In the outsksrts 'r ne
1oKohama at the entrance to a largo GOV,
eminent coal yard where the coolies en-
ployeo earn from 20 to % cents a day flow
,rot tehI gers station themselves and offer
pretty blossoms for sale as the men come
from thelr work. Imagine such a subject
ehsIosslns the attention of coal heavers
IN our.own country! The japanese seldom
tics enelr mowers, but In an effective set
especially beautiful branch form q njctnra
restful and lovely to behold.
~ - quite impossible to lay down INV
eer,hte rue as TO what must be done to in
eoio SUCCESS because conditions vary 60
much, but some general advice NAV he 10. 90
a1 a 10 me mower arranger who is doubtful
Simplicity Tells
First and foremost, let Japanese simnlici-
~ always be your keynote Strive to make
the arrangement as natural as possible and
to become familiar with the different WAYS
IN which each well known flower grows. In
other words. let object lessons be taken
from nature herself and try to arrange
mowers In some sort of growing fashion For
instance, In the manipulation of a rose
scneme IL the rosehush is studied 1t will he
seen that there is no crowding no formaIi-
ty; everything is simple and natural There
lore roses should be arranged loosely and
not forced into positions foreign to them
The next important feature in arrange
rnent is 10 guard against overcrowding,
winch is not good for flowers and inya ria
bly, destroys the artistic effect The putting
together of several kinds of flowers even
when they harmonic is also almost always
disastrous. Each flower has it's own indi-
viduality, and when massed indiscriminately
this is lost.
Roses should depend upon their own
1o'lage Tor greenery and never be mingled
with asparagus vine ferns. American
beauties and all the stately queens of rose
dom are at their best when placed in long
stemmed cut glass vase. When used as a
table center decoration, a rose bowl having
a wire netting to hold the flowers in place
Is the proper receptacle If one brings into
service a bowl not especially adapted for
the purpose good plan is to hollow out a
piece Of cardboard and slip it over the stems
near the top of the bowl. Indeed, the vessel
in which flowers are put has everything to
n x-rfth nj off 7 rctn
like the lily will be spoiled If placed in low
vases. On the other hand. flowers with
short stems are always unsatisfactory when
arranged IN anything but low bowls or
vases, and there is something incongruous
about making picture of wild varieties In
dainty piece of porcelain. These need a
setting of delft. lockwood or old-fashioned
stone, blue and gray ware.
Harmony in Color.
Color must also be taken into considera-
ton in this connection blue china bowl
may be pleasing when filled with yellow
roses or marguerites, but if pink roses or
the fashionable purple dahlias are substi-
tuted the result is discord. AS a general
rule a crystal vase or cut glass bowl will
be found more satisfactory than colored
vessel Where these are used there is no
clash of color, no striving for predominance
in hue or tone between flowers and recep-
tacle. There is craze for pewter In artis-
tic forms and some of the new designs for
holding flowers and fruit are delightful.
Another novelty which is charmingly eff
fective Is an electric light centerpiece
formed of an artificial rose tree in full
bloom. The stem of the tree Is realistically
carried out, and at the top Is mass of
foliage, out of which crimson roses shine
with a subdued light which is very beau
tiful.
To Keep Flowers.
To come back to natural blossoms. moth
ing will preserve these beauties longer than
a little pinch of sal soda dropped In the
water. which should be changed each day.
A Japanese plan by which cut flowers are
made to last long time is to burn the end
of their stems with piece Of wood: not
match. as the sulphur would injure them.
The virtue In the charring lies In the fact
that through the burned end the water is
able to penetrate the stem, and thus the
life of the flower is sustained.
Flowers which are to be worn should be
placed in the ice box until needed. Smart
florists send out orders Of cut flowers In a
tin box having separate lower compart-
ment filled with cracked ice. When sending
small flowers, such as violets. by mail. MOTH
nc moi IN only han in fho,,