Easter — Greater Profusion of Flowers This Year Than Usual

Pittsburgh, 1889

Easter Eggs and Flowers

Greater Profusion of the Latter Than Usual

Many Churches Will be Tastefully Decorated To-Morrow — Florists Have Their Hands Full With Order for Bouquets.

Easter, the goddess of spring, has been extremely kind to her children this year. She has chased away Jack Frost with his lingering touches of icy coldness that blast the early flowers. Old Sol's beams have searched out the sleeping bulbs and roots and awakened them from their slumbers. At the voice of Easter they have burst forth in abundance with all the beauties of a new birth, an emblem of the resurrection of Christ.

It is to the Germans that we owe the beautiful custom of giving flowers at Easter-tide, and their first general application as an emblem of the resurrection. To-morrow the two cities and their suburbs will observe the custom as has been rarely done before. The day will be a feast of flowers as well as eggs.

Owing to the mild winter the market is full of flowers, and the florists have been busy for months back preparing to fill their orders. Flowers are more reasonable in price than for some years at Easter-tide, and owing to this fact, many will invest in floral offerings this year that have not done so heretofore. Many of the churches will be prettily decorated to-morrow, and judging from the numerous orders for bouquets, many a fair damsel will wear beautiful emblems of Easter morn.

Easter flowers include all flowers that bloom at this particular season, but queen among them all the Easter lily retains its place. Following in its train come the other lilies of various species, the lily of the valley and the common wood lily. The latter will be a specialty in the Easter market.

The narcissus and the hyacinth will each have its place among the flowers of Easter. Among the specialties forced by some of the florists are the cypripedium spectabile and cypripedium barbatum, two species of orchids. Several other novelties are on the market for fastidious buyers. The florists' stores will doubtless present a busy scene to-day.

—The Pittsburgh Post, Pittsburgh, PA, April 20, 1889, page 2.