THE ART OF ARRANGING FLOWERS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21390, 18 July 1931, Page 7

THE ART OF ARRANGING FLOWERS

Have you noticed how artistically Nature has arranged the flowers, the buds and the stems, as the plants stand in the garden? The green foliage and buds enhance every blossom. There is no crowding. Each flower stands out and there is no mixture of varieties with its inharmonious colouring that sets one's teeth on edge. If you can just remember to arrange cut flowers loosely and as nearly as possible like they grow in the garden you will have no trouble in making your bouquets artistic. The greatest difficulty is in using too many flowers. How much more charm there is in one rose with its green leaves in a slender vase than a dozen roses crowded together. Let each individual flower stand out, surrounded by its foliage. Use plenty of green and remember that flowers are always happier nestled aihong their own particular foliage. Never tie a bunch of flowers together. Nothing could be less like Nature intended them to be.

Do not try to arrange short-stemmed flowers in a tall vase nor long-stemmed ones in a shallow bowl. Have plenty of containers to suit the different varieties.

It takes an artistic eye to arrange different varieties and colours together. Unless you are sure that you have the harmonious sense of colour, better stick to one kind at a time when arranging flowers. Bright yellow and pink, while beautiful by themselves, will fight like Kilkenney cats if put together. Orange-red and purple are hideous and yet one frequently sees these colours arranged in a basket of gladioli. A basket recently had Prince of Orange and Evelyn Kirtland together, and of course the whole effect was spoiled. Rose pink, and orange always scream with agony when neaq each other. Yellow and blue, preferably yellow flowers in a blue container, rather than an equal number of blue and yellow flowers together, gave a pleasing harmonious colour note.

Black bowls, also green bowls, are charming for most varieties of flowers. Pink rosebuds and pale blue forget-me-nots are dainty, and with white gyphsophila are lovely arranged in clear glass so that the stems and red thorns show.

Gladioli are much better by themselves, as are dahlias. With the former use plenty of stiff leaves. The buds and foliage of the dahlia make this flower more artistic, but it is one of the most difficult to arrange.

Avoid heavy long-stemmed flowers for the dining table. If one has to play peek-a-boo with the one opposite, during a meal, the bouquet is not suitable. Only low bowls of dainty flowers should be used on the table.

No matter how beautiful a single rose in a slender vase may be, it lacks proportion on a large dining table. The container and flowers should be in proportion to the size of the table. Choose your containers and flowers to suit the colours of your room. If your dining room has yellow as its predominating colour, do not use pink flowers in that room. Blue rooms may have rose, white, crimson, orchid, yellow, brown, orange, and any of the peach or apricot shades. Avoid ornate containers. The shape is what counts, and the plainer the better the flowers will appear.—Jeanette Leader (Ont.), in the Flower GrGower, U.S.A.