GROUPING FLOWERS. 



121 



bed, not for promiscuous intermixture or to 

 present strong contrasts, but to exhibit a 

 rich blending of colours, slightly variant, 

 or to place together several plants of simi- 

 lar habit of growth. Care must be taken 

 that these plants all flower at once; and 

 each bed would hence present, while in 

 flower, a perfect group in itself. 



Much skill might be brought into exercise, 

 by the proper disposition of these beds in 

 different parts of the ground, for landscape 

 effect ; and artificial or aerial distance might 

 also be created, by placing flowers of bright- 

 er and richer colours, as orange or crim- 

 son, and of more dense growth, on the fore- 

 ground; and those of lighter foliage and 

 more feathery growth, and with paler flow- 

 ers, as pale blue or purple, on more distant 

 parts, as seen from the principal points of 

 view. 



The principles on which different colours 

 may be suitably grouped and blended, with- 

 out being incongruous, would doubtless re- 

 quire much close observation and study. A 

 general rule, perhaps, is afforded by the 

 fact, that plants of different colours may be 

 miixed, where the compound itself is agree- 

 able to the eye. For example, a light or 

 bright red is a pleasing colour ; hence white 

 and clear dark red blend well. The same 

 remark will apply to white and dark blue, 

 a light blue being a fine colour. Bright red 

 and pure yellow may be placed in contact, 

 a clear orange being the result. But a dull 

 dark red or crimson and yellow do not blend 

 well, as the mixture is heavy ; and yellow 

 and blue are very unsuitable, as they pro- 

 duce a green by combination, a colour fine 

 for leaves, but never admired for flowers. 



It is believed that great improvements are 

 yet to be made in floriculture, by the pro- 

 per arrangement of flowers. Many estab- 

 lishments ore enriched with rare and costly 

 plants, only within the reach of the few. 

 16 



But still fewer collections are enriched with 

 that which money cannot buy — a skilful ar- 

 rangement throughout, on the principles al- 

 ready alluded to. It is more desirable to 

 be "profuse of genius" than "profuse of 

 gold ;" a garden of more common plants, 

 displayed in the best possible manner, would 

 excel one full of rarities, unskilfully jumbled 

 together. The imprisoned artist, who amu- 

 sed himself, and showed his skill, by paint- 

 ing pictures with the sweepings of the house 

 floor, showed himself infinitely superior to 

 the sign painber, who, with the richest and 

 most costly colours, executed only a gor- 

 geous daubing. The finest and rarest trees, 

 badly arranged, would, as a whole, fail to 

 please ; while a collection of more common 

 sorts might, by taste and skill, be made to 

 form a beautiful landscape. I do not see 

 why the same principles may not be fully 

 applied in the arrangement of a flower gar- 

 den. Perfection in the latter will, undoubt- 

 edly, be longer of attainment, inasmuch as 

 habit of growth, mode of inflorescence, co- 

 lour, and time of flowering, are all to be 

 taken at once into consideration. 



It is not, of course, intended here to carry 

 out these suggestions ; but a few imperfect 

 examples may serve for illustration. 



The following common perennial rooted 

 plants are tall, are in flower together the 

 first days of summer, and blended, form a 

 rich and brilliant group : Yellow Heme- 

 rocallis, Oriental and Caucasian Poppy, 

 Orange Lily, and common double crimson 

 Pseonia. The dark crimson of the Cauca- 

 sian Poppy, in connexion with the clear 

 crimson of the PiEonia, and these combined 

 with the fine yellow of the Hemerocallis, by 

 the intervening shades of the Orange Lily 

 and Oriental Poppy, exhibit together a most 

 splendid display. Among those less showy, 

 and of smaller and lighter growth, the Blue 

 Baptisia, the Red and White Dictamnus, 



