Just as the styles of women's dress seem to go in circles which repeat themselves at intervals, so, too in styles of home decoration. In Victorian days, the use of dried wild flowers of all kinds was extremely common, to be followed by a period when they were highly despised. Now again, it seems to be fashionable to use bouquets of dried grasses, weed seeds and other material, (often and regrettably dyed or sprayed). So, for the city dweller who would bring the country into his home; for the transient summer resident in the country; for the trailerite; or for the Sunday drivers who perhaps have neither time nor space for a garden of cultivated flowers, there is a wealth of interest in the use of wayside plants as home decoration. And it is here, too, that we get best acquainted with the flowers. The use of wild flowers, such as the goldenrod, and the black-eyed Susan as bouquet materials is obvious, but actually, almost any plant or flower may be artistically used for decoration, if but a little thought is given to the matter.
-- Nelson Coon, Using Wayside Plants (1969)
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