Arranging Flowers

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXII, 15 April 1939, Page 12

Arranging Flowers

Need For Imagination J NTELLIGENT women of to-day take the most intense interest in all the modern trends of interior decorating and the furnishing of their homes. Then clothes must lx* the last word and their grooming perfecton, says a Sidney It is strange, therefore, that they have not followed up the new trends in flower decoration which have to-day revolutionised the arrangement of flowers in I our homes. | Everyone has flowers in their houses, j but they seem to arrange them with the ! same lack of imagination as some people | use in cooking vegetables. They buy flowers, regardless of their suitability, but because they are cheap and easy to arrange. That is the wrong principle. The decorative value of a flower must come first, whether it is a weed, an exotic bloom, or an everyday flower. I do not mean one should necessarily uae exotic and expensive flowers. Far from it, for some of the wuld flowers and common flowers —sunflowers, for instance —have great decorative value. What I do mean is. don't buy a bunch of gladioli just because they are cheap, and stick them in a tall, narrow-necked vase, and call it a day. When setting out to collect flowers for a vase, get as many shapes and textures as you can. In an all-white group you can achieve all kinds of effects by mixing different textures of white flowers. The highlights of the shiny flowers, such as gladioli, dahlias, etc., are in complete contrast to the dull surface of a Frau Karl Druski rose or white antirrhinum. Don’t be frightened to mix certain colours together, such as magenta and crashing reds, but have large groups of them. Flowers dotted singly about will clash. Gladioli blooms are lovely when used in conjunction with other flowers. Their straight, sword-like appearance and glorious colouring is invaluable in making up a perfect group w’hich should include some flowers with “faces.” such as zinnias, dahlias, asters, sunflowers, etc. The flowers should have a definite relation to thd colour scheme of the room. For example, in a room with pale green walls red or white flower groups are the most effective. But, if. for instance, you had with your green walls pale yellow curtains and a note of brown in the room, you would keep your flower* to yellows, creamy whites and browns. You can introduce a touch of brown in your group with the dried seed pods of lupins, goldenrod. or delphinium, the seed heads of perennial poppies, sunflowers, etc. They are left to mature on the plants, and picked when brown in autumn. They last in that state more or less indefinitely.

The day has passed, thank goodness, when small silver vases of flowers and pots of ferns were dotted about the drawing-room. To-day we concentrate on. say. two good-sized groups in the usual sized room, with, perhaps, one small low vase of sweet-smelling flowers on a table by the sofa.

Flower groups are creative work, so put all your thoughts and imagination into making a perfect thing.