proportion of the arrangement is at least one and a half times

the height of a tall vase, or approximately one and a half times the width of a low vessel. These measures are no more than guiding suggestions, for the proportion is suggested by the materials, the vessels, and the place.

Just as balance is required in every design, so it is required in the arrangement of flowers. We obtain it by placing the slender, light-colored forms, such as buds and green branches, at the edge of the design, while we place in the center the large flowers of darker color. A balanced arrangement looks beautiful from every side.

Color has a great importance in

flower arrangement, since it is always present in flowers. One can exercise much artistry in the ways of using it; but a single color is more effective than variety, or than colors scattered here and there. Astonishingly beautiful results can be obtained by using the warm colors together, such as red, lemon, and yellow; a delicate, tranquil effect can be had with the cool colors, such as blue, violet, and the pale tints; and the use of different shades of the same color in a single arrangement produces a

very beautiful effect. Flowers look beautiful in almost any container, but to obtain a captivating effect the vessel must suit the design, the flowers, and the greenery in shape and size. It is the suitability of the container, and not its material value, that gives the beautiful result.

1 — The texture of the flowers, their kind, and their color must be taken into consideration when selecting vases. Strong, bright flowers do not

Dried flowers of a single color make a charming arrangement.

— The Triangle —

This shape suits places with wide open space, with its long, balanced lines and its flowers concentrated in the center.

— The Oval —

A design suited to large quantities of flowers.

— The Circle —

A splendid design with slanting lines that nearly meet, with all the flowers at the bottom.

— The Side Third —

A beautiful, popular, and easy design. The mass of volume is concentrated at the base of the vertical line.