File:Florists' review (microform) (16473690577).jpg

Title: Florists' review (microform)
Identifier: 5205536_25_1 (find matches)
Year: [1] (s)
Authors:
Subjects: Floriculture
Publisher: Chicago : Florists' Pub. Co
Contributing Library: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Digitizing Sponsor: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

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',!';*»>">*v*^ ■'■ 24 The Weekly Florists^ Review^ ~K ■^,-'*^>*:'>iF,* V' December 16, 1909. cloth or covering should be thrown over it to keep the exposed outsides from los- ing the fresh green color. To dip the bunches in water for a minute or two will make the sprays pliable and easier to work, but if overwet it will all the quicker turn brown or black after being made up. The wreathing that is made up by tens of thousands of yards and sold to the florists for them to retail is apt to bo thin, because competition has brought the price down too low for the manufac- turers to turn out a really good article; you can't get something for nothing-'at Christmas any more than at any other time. Consequently many florists prefer to make their own wreathing and then store it away in a frame or cool shed, but always covered, so that the light and air will be excluded as much as possible. Magnolia and Smilax. The above three materials are the prin- cipal things for our holiday decorations. There are other things used in a small way. The beautiful leaves of the Mag- nolia grandiflora are ornamental on small branches, but not often seen. There is nothing to say about that most decorative of all hardy climbers, the southern smilax. It is in season from October until April and you buy it by the ease when you want it. The merest novice can tack this up and it can not be otherwise than graceful. It is some- thing like Asparagus plumosus in this respect, only the smilax is invaluable in the large hall, while the plumosus is at home in the drawing-room. Bouquet green is scarce and high this year, and much wild smilax will be used instead for decorations. Mistletoe. Don't forget a few dollars' worth of imported mistletoe. Some people say there are no "privileges" allowed with the native species and will have nothing but the imported article, but the major- ity do not know the difference. It is not of record that the mistletoe, which has such charming associations, lends extra bliss to the exercise under the bough when well berried, but certain it is that it often reaches the florist quite berry- less. The berries are in the bottom of the case. If you buy ten dollars' worth of mistletoe you will, perhaps, only get your money back, but you won't do that if you leave it in the case and let every boy you have maul it over when wanting to select a 50-cent or dollar spray. Un- pack and sort it and put a price on each group, so that you can readily pick up what your customer wants. Christmas Trees. The Christmas tree, in large cities, at least, is no worry to the florist. Car- loads come in and are handled by the market people, but those florists who make the effort can sell trees with their other greens. The florist ought to make an effort to have a little better grade of greens than can be bought of the pro- vision stores or street salesmen with whom he comes in competition, and the same way with trees. A lot of people know a good, shapely tree when they see it. You can sell a lot of these by tele- phone or by letter, if you have the stock and facilities. Table trees are new in many localities. These are little fellows, not over two feet high, and should be offered with some sort of base to hold them upright. A piece of tree four to six inches in diame- ter, sawed into disks an inch or two thick, makes a good support; bore a hole in the center of the disk, sharpen the end of the little Christmas tree, drive it in the hole, and there you are, all ready for the table and trimming. THE POPULAR POINSETTIA. Among the Christmas specialties noth ing sells better than the basket of poiii settias. Illustrated on this page are twd such arrangements. These were rafiia baskets, one round and one square, but almost any kind of basket does well with the poinsettia and the red ribbon bow. For making up in this way one should choose poinsettias of a height to corre spend with the height of his basket; ;i low handle calls for low plants, a higher handle permits the use of taller stock. A few ferns mixed with the poinsettias serve to fill in the bare spots. One touch that costs little, but is generally omitted, is to cover the soil with green sphagnum moss. THE SIMPLE LIFE. The fussy kind of plant arrangement does not appeal to all tastes; some plant buyers, whether or not they lead the sim- ple life themselves, prefer the simple ob- ject—nature unadorned. For such as these there is nothing more attractive than the cyclamen as shown in the illus- tration on page 28. This was in one of the pure white china pots now handled by all the supply houses, perfectly plain, ex- cept for the beading just beneath the rim and the garland of raised flowers which shows at one side. Any good cyclamen plant will sell in such a pot and such a sale will almost invariably make a friend for the florist. THE LOVELY LORRAINE. Nowadays no retail store that caters to discriminating trade can get along without the Lorraine begonia at Christ mas. The Lorraine is not the most en- during of plants; neither is it the easiest plant to handle when making a large number of rush deliveries in bad weather,
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