Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-08-29
SCIENCE OF BOUQUET MAKING
FLOWERS SHOULD BE GROUPED
ACCORDING TO THEIR DOORS.
Harmony and Contrast Govern the
Combination of Blossoms-Relative
Intensity Of Scents.

Francis Mare. in the Paris Cosmos
That there are scientific laws that regu-
late the combination of odors, as there are
those that must be followed In assembling
colors or musical tones. Is maintained.
1t Is held that 1t Is possible to formulate
rules for the proper grouping of flowers
according to their odors. and it Is believed
that those who consult the eye only In
making bouquet are artistic heretics.
A bouquet is symphony Of odors and
II has its conventional rules OF composition
just as a musical symphony has.
To choose flowers with skill. to group
them tremendously, to blend their colors
and to bring out pleasing effect from the
infinite variety of their shades is an af-
fair Of art and personal taste for which It
is impossible to formulate a precise rule
or any exact directions. But to establish
scale Of scent that shall not contain one
false note-to make the general odor Of
a bouquet something fine smooth and deli
cate is not an art. but a real science, and
l desire to try to express its laws.
osmometric Measurements.
The precise osmometric measurements
that have been made in various laboratories
have established the relative intensity of
perfumes and the experiments Of special
lists have done the rest, so that 1t is today
well known in what relative proportions
the elementary odors must be combined In
order to obtain an agreeable whole. BY
such knowledge the great perfumers prove
their creative skill. and their c.everness is
often only the application of precise and
definite data
We may divide doors into two great
classes. the strong and the weak; each
when used by itself has very apparent
defects; the problem for solution is to
unite them In proper proportions.
In the first place foundation odor
must be selected to give the general tone.
This choice is free. and there is nothing
to determine 1t outside of the personal
preferences of the maker Of the bouquet
or. better. the one for whom 1t Is destined.
Some prefer violent and strong base.
such as acacia, heliotrope lilac; others
like weaker and less energetic one. such
as lily of the valley jasmine or white rose.
1t Is simply a question of taste.
The Foundation Odor.
The foundation odor must be placed in
the center and only a small number Of
flowers must be used for it: then these
should be surrounded with an odor that
will complete it without effacing It.
Around a bunch Of acacia, for instance,
may be placed a few blossoms of honey
suckle; around heliotrope lily of the val
ley: around tuberose. jacinth; around ge-
ranum. roses. Then. the complementary
odor having once been fixed upon. there
must be added different odors, intended to
SiS< u the DdSlC OOOF what We may call
character-,ively odors on the one hand
and soft odors on the other: In bouquet
Of heliotrope and lily of the valley it is
good to place the Violence Of the jacinth,
the warm sweetness of the orange, the
penetrating delicacy of the mignonette or
the violet and something Of the strength
exhaled by the gillyf1ower or the carna-
ton. Finally. We finish by placing at the
edges a reminder Of the basic order.
At first sight these rules appear some
what artificial and conventional this is
true in certain degree. but conformity
with them is none the less useful. A
bouquet is a symphony of odors and should
we not grant that in making it we must
follow rules as rigid those Of harmony?
1t Is heresy to hold that flowers should
be grouped with view solely to the pleas
ure of the eye. since they have perfume;
and II the theory of complemsntaries gov
erns the assemblage of colors we should
not forget that there are also complement
tary odors. and that odors have value and
Intensity which should be combined happily
when We desire to achieve a really artistic
result.