70 THE ELORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



ration. It may sound strange to talk of using black to light up a 

 pattern, but black and gold yellow in thin lines side by side, have a 

 very illuminating effect, with large compartments of red, blue, and 

 white. 



But the most satisfactory march of fashions in bedding is the 

 improved modes of using yellow in masses. Hitherto the calceolarias 

 have given more pain than pleasure to genuine artists, through the 

 vulgar display of yellow and scarlet in juxtaposition, and the yellow 

 generally used in such excess as to render it impossible for the eye to 

 take cognizance of other elements. Never yet have the presiding 

 spirits of the Crystal Palace done aught with calceolarias but abuse 

 them, but we think we shall prove true prophets if we say that in place 

 of those repetitions of calceolaria in the south compartment of the 

 second terrace, which have heretofore made artists groan, we shall see 

 the glare toned down with intersecting tones of black, brown, ruby, 

 and other colours producible by the use of foliage plants. 



Another movement of fashion is in the direction of what we may call 

 predominating colours. Now this idea of predominating colours is one 

 which every amateur may adopt with equal advantage, both for effect, 

 for frequent change, and for easy cultivation. Let us, instead of 

 elaborating a theory, cite an example. At the Kensington Garden of 

 the Royal Horticultural Society last year, Mr. Eyles adopted for pre- 

 dominating colour blue lobelia, and at the same time illustrated a 

 theory, frequently propounded in these pages, that every garden should 

 present some distinct feature— a feature of sufficient distinctiveness and 

 importance to render every other feature subsidiary to it. The two 

 great triangular friezes on either side the main walk, in the centre of 

 the garden, were almost wholly planted in blue lobelia. The planting 

 of those triangles was in this wise. All the inner beds Lobelia speciosa, 

 presenting such a breadth of intense blue as was never seen before, 

 except perhaps in masses of troops in blue ; and there is an artillery 

 regiment, the costume of which is blue picked out in white, which might 

 be mustered in illustration. The long marginal beds were in Crystal 

 Palace geranium, bounded on each side with Purple King verbena and 

 edged with Manglesi geranium. But here, with broad sheets of blue 

 enclosed with thin lines of cream, scarlet, and purple, Mr. Eyles was 

 compelled to use a few of the foliage colours as separating agents, to 

 save the pattern and prevent it becoming like a blue cloth spread on the 

 ground; and very effectually did the strong tones of the foliage colours 

 accomplish the purpose they were put to. The reader does not need to 

 be reminded that orange and brown are the best of all contrasts to blue. 

 Now taking this lesson of Mr. Eyles's as applicable to the planting of 

 small private gardens, we shall see how the proprietors of those gardens 

 may gain, as just remarked, signal advantages in effect, frequent change, 

 and easy cultivation. To raise ten thousand or five thousand plants of 

 one kind is a much easier matter than ten or five thousand of ten, five, 

 or fifty kinds. Plant the geometric garden, then, on Mr. Eyles's plan, 

 and if any doubt about the first start, take blue for the dominant 

 colour, and use white edgings and no yellow at all. Next year let 

 scarlet be the leading feature, with blue and white edgings ; and the 

 next year yellow, with black and purple edgings. Tou may thus go on 



