Los Angeles herald., 1908-04-19

said to have cost her father considerably
more than $150.000, of which the major
portion was spent on floral decorations
which are declared TO have been the most
lavish ever attempted in this country.
The four walls of the ballroom were
draped from floor to ceiling with blankets
OF Southern smilax, from which peeped
at close intervals American Beauty roses.
Thousands upon thousands of these blos-
SONS were required to carry out the dec
orative scheme Huge clusters OF these
superb blossoms were placed about the
rooms in such profusion as to all but be-
wilder the guests there assembled. Or
ders for these flowers had been placed
with well-known Philadelphia florist
months ahead, and In order to fulfil his
instructions he was compelled to draw
upon the supplies of all the leading for
lists of New York. Plttsburg, Washington
and Baltimore, and they, In turn, thae
they might supply the demand, had to
force those bushes into bloom that were
to have been held In reserve for the Eas-
ter season. American Beauty roses are
today selling at almost prohibitive prices
in New York, where, indeed, they are to
be had at all.
One would think with the arrival OF the
lenten season florists of the big city
would find a breathing spell In which TO
prepare for the Easter season, hut this,
tbev snv Is not the case. with the cessa-
tion those festivities, which Include bails,
dancing parties and the like, society gives
itself up to a saner aud more conservative
mode of entertaining which includes ar
ternoon bridge parties, dinners, luncheons
and the like. All of these demand the aid
of the florist and he is called upon TO fur
nish not only corsage bouquets innumer-
able, but table and drawing room floral
decorations as well. One fashionable
Broadway florist, whose business Is equal
to that OF any four competitors In the big
city, declares that his sales department.
is the smallest end to his big business
since the revenue derived from his potted
plants, palms, ferns and other decorative
blossoms, that are. rented, for all occa-
slons, doubles that from sales. This en-
terprising decorator supplies the Easter
flowers and plants for nearly every
church In Greoter New York which dec
crates its interior at Easter, and this Is
no small item, as a visit to these sane
tuaries will prove how elaborate these
decora tions are.
Dealers assert that the late financial
panic was keenly felt among them, and
that they will have to do an abnormal
Easter business TO catch up; but Judging
from the preparations now under way,
this they expect to do. Within the past
decade the exchange of presents at Easter
has become almost as general as 1t Is at
Christmas, but In almost every instance
the Easter gift Is In the form of flowers.
Ranged on the shelves of tho fashionable
florists are to be found numberless dainty
baskets, handsome boxes or expensive
bits of brie-a-brac. Into these receptacles
expensive ferns or Japanese plants are
transplanted, and thus a costly as we'll
as a suitable Easter present is provided
Tastes this year run to growing plants
rather than cut flowers, and plants suit
able for this purpose are orchids, azaleos.
hydrangeas, dwarfed lilacs, white or pur-
Pile, and even potted sweetpeas are popu-
lar. Pretty gifts being shown this year
are costly baskets gaily festooned with
rich blossoms, into the center OF which
have been scattered several pounds OF
expensive bonbons. Such gifts are to be
had at confectionerE and florists alike.