New-York tribune., 1906-12-22
HOLIDAY FLORAL GIFTS
Hampers Of Plants and blossoms
More Popular than ECer.

Christmas floral gifts range in price this sea-
son from - cents 10 500 Twenty-Five cents
buys certain plants in little pots in the un-
fashionable parts OF the city. and even poor
people buy these gifts. The $500 hamper
viii go out from a store Just west of Fifth
avenue The hamper viii contain the choicest
growing plants of gardenia and camellia. filled
in with masses OF cut orchids and farleyense
fern. The gardenia is a little tree having large,
oleander- like blossoms. rose color spotted with
white. The plants full OF buds which will
continue 10 open all winter. The farleyense is
the most expensive fern grown. both because IL
IS The soWest and hardest 10 rear and because
OF its beauty II is something the order OF
the maidenhar. though much larger and more
luXuriant IL costs - or 80 cents a leaf, ana
a little bunch OF IL runs up to $40.
There is nO absolutely new flower from the
greenhouses This year. the novelty being con-
lined 10 the hampers and the arrangement
These more elaborate than ever The new
hampers-the majority of which contain growing
llants-are mace or a Calltorilla rush. but they
are so covered with rosettes and streamers OF
delicate chinons and satin ribbon that the ma
terial is almost concealed. Some OF them are
one vast mass. big a dishpan of begonia.
The waEen blossoms of the paleSt pink, and tied
with ribbon Of the same shade. The azaleas are
q solid mass Of deep, glowing Carmine costing
from 40 cents up 10 81 Both these plants will
keep their beauty for three weeks. AlcaIiaS
gre little evergreen trees. with long. glossy
needles In pot draped in red crinkled paper
and tied with red ribbon. they look very Christ
snassy. But the most Christmas keeping of all
plants Is the ardesia. which has been the
market for only two three years past. This
IS a bushy plant with glossy leaves. much re-
sem bling holly. Bun the red berries are far
more abundant fairly loading the plant In a
pot with a red kirtle and the plant wound with
q rich scarlet SILK cord satin ribbon. il makes
q popular Christmas gift. The plant is "A year
old before il bears berries Then il is sold in
fhe Christmas market for from S5 10 81 II will
retain its beauty for weeks
The flaming petals of the poinsettia are as
popular as ever for house decoration al Christ
mas lime.
When cut flowers are sent. the most recherche
and fashionable are violets sardenias orchids
and llies-of-the-VaIley. The valley lilies cost
from - 10 50 for a bunch of twenty-five sprays
Nlolets are from s. FOR the smallest bunch wear
able 10 SO for the largest Gardenias and or
chlds are 81 % apiece. But of all Christmas
nora gus The one most frequently sent is a
DoA o1 American Beauty roses or of big. spicy,
red carnations. The roses are SO or $50 a
dozen. The carnations compensate for their
chea lneSS by their color, which makes them the
true Christmas blossom among the cut flowers
There are no set designs or accepted novelties
in table dressing. Scarlet and green are the
NhrlStinaS ColorS, but each design for a centre
piece Is made 10 fiji the table the room and the
individual taste and pocketbook OF the owner
typical Christmas dining room in a private
mouse III one oI the uptown streets will be as
follows. on entering the dining room which
Is q long. narrow room running across the rear
eld OF the mouse, one VIII notice first the log
IRE burning in the open fireplace The n1antel-
piece VIII be banked with masses Of holly with
one or two scarlet pOinsettias flaming from the
midst and great scarlet Christmas bell hang
Ing above IL. In The opposite corner will stand
great Christmas tree reaching TO the ceiling
balsam FIR whose needles give OF delicious
spicy fragrance in the heat of the fire This
tree VIII he filed with small electric lights each
one sheathed IN fluffy, be-like shade Of thin
scarlet paper. like the corolla Of a flower Tba
hase of the tree is hidden with great masses of
me scarlet polnsetfia All the electric lights in
The room are shaded in scarlet. and tan electric
candies Nll stand about in scarlet shades but
loi on the table. where they interrupt the view
The centrepiece viii be very sirr,le vet H.,
rant IN effect II viii be a great shallow dish
very low. Around the edges a thick mass NJ The
'eathefN lacy farleyenSe fern viii drooD over
ana lie upon the tableCloth. Within this Tho
outer blossoms dropping to minge with he form
~ inner rSlng slightly toward the centre will
DC an enormous mass Of red carnations cl,o.ar,
heoause nothing else gives just the same color
eheci After the dinner is over each guest viii
pna ms name illuminated in gold upon a scarlet
saiin ribbon strea ming from the tree PuIIi,O
the end o-'"SIeu 10