90 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



colour of the soil is generally of little import, because that is supposed to 

 be covered, but where breadths of soil are to remain visible, the planter 

 must bear the fact in mind ; as, for instance, a mass of pale yellow Oeno- 

 theras, Amplexicaulis calceolarias, or even Golden Chain geranium, would 

 lose much of its beauty beside a space of visible gravel or sand, or yeUow 

 loam, though the bronze of perilla, or the blue of Salvia patens would 

 have congenial relief there. But the soil is supposed to be covered, and 

 if not covered, its colour must be considered, and the hint may be of value, 

 that to relieve yellow and orange flowers, and light gray and golden foliage, 

 a dressing of soot, to be occasionally repeated, adds very much to the rich- 

 ness of the colouring. 



Where but two or three colours are seen at one time, the best of all 

 rules is to adopt the complementaries, and have nothing to do with inter- 

 mediates and neutrals. The more search is made after curious things and 

 novel colours, the farther off will be good taste and agreeable effects. The 

 bright green of grass turf is almost exactly balanced by the vivid scarlet 

 of the zonale geraniums, hence the popularity of « these plants, for the eye 

 appreciates good contrasts even when unused to analyze them ; with the 

 green and the scarlet we have the whole of the spectrum, and while en- 

 joying them the eye never asks for another colour. But suppose the scene 

 to require three masses, then two reds and one white will be a pretty fair 

 balance of both colour and light, for the last-named element is at its 

 maximum in white, hence too great a predominance of white in a set of 

 beds will render all other colours inconspicuous or all but invisible. 

 Supposing again that only a few beds are visible from the same point, and 

 scarlet and white are not to be used, perhaps because employed in scenes 

 we have just been inspecting, then we have in other complementaries the 

 most chaste, though not the most showy, of all the effects possible in 

 colour, and that is in the employment of violet and yellow, or blue and 

 orange. But observe, that in this case the two contrasted colours should 

 be near in order that the eye may mix them easily, or they cease to be 

 complementary. Hence there ought, in such arrangement, to be as small 

 a breadth of grass as possible, except as a boundary to the whole. To 

 make a set of three on this plan, the central mass should be of vivid plum, 

 with pale yellow on either side, or bright blue with rich orange on either 

 side, the colours dense and distinct, and only so far separated by turf 

 that the eye can still survey them without diihculty. In small gardens 

 there are generally too many beds, too many colours, and too large a mix- 

 ture of neutrals ; indeed neutrals are scarcely wanted, or in very subordi- 

 nate quantities, in small gardens. The idea is frequently entertained that 

 a multitude of small beds will increase the apparent size of the place, 

 but the truth is, that is just the way to make it smaller. A few grand 

 sweeping masses, as extensive as can be, consistent with surrounding 

 elements, will give the idea of a large area, by its freedom, and its de- 

 mand upon the eye to make the suiwey under an obtuse angle. 



"When we leave the small domain, and attempt the planting of an 

 extensive piece of ground, we have to consider how, by the disposition of 

 the surface, the several parts are seen together or separate ; where seen 

 together neutral colours will be of great value in forming connecting links 

 between all strong colours, and the various silvery and gray foliaged plants 

 are of very great value. Not only is the eye pleased by the quiet relief 

 of these neutrals, but when judiciously disposed, they bring out the true 



