For December, 1922 



329 



Combinations of Flowering Plants 



ALLISON M. WOODMAN 



MANY flowers — and I use this term advisedly, mean- 

 ing the flower to be a combination of the plant and 

 blossom — are attractive enough in groupings of the 

 same variety or of several varieties of the same species, 

 but some of the best effects are obtained when several 

 species of flowers, frecjuently, quite different in appear- 



Siuipdniiiiiiis iuii I'l- /'/ii/i/i'J I'ri-L-ly in amongst Petunias {on the 

 left). Pansics [center) are excellent for planting in tlie paricl in 

 the center of the garage drive, while Shasta Daisies make a splen- 

 did border plant. 



ance, but ha\ing harmonious colors and fine texture of 

 foliage, are placed in the same group. 



A blaze of one vivid color is quite effective in flower 

 Ijeds located in large parks and extensive estates, but on 

 small places it is in better taste to use flowers with soft 

 tones that blend. White is a good intermediate color to 

 use, often eft'ecting a transition between two violent, con- 

 trasting colors. People are subject to decided tempera- 

 mental tastes in grouping flowers. One person will de- 

 mand the grouping of vivid reds and blues : another will 

 show a preference for some other strongly contrasting 

 •colors. Alany show an utter lack of sense in color values. 



Nature seldom makes a mistake in her selection of 

 colors within the same flower. There is a gradual grada- 

 tion between colors, or, if distinct, they contrast well. 

 Therefore, it seems quite useless to continuallv harp on 

 the subject of selecting flowers solely for color combina- 

 tions. Flowers with pronounced colors like orange, yel- 

 low, and brown, should usually be planted separate from 

 other flowers. Flowers like Zinnias and Salpiglossis with 

 vivid, bizarre colors had best be planted in separate beds, 

 although flowers of similar character occasionally strike 

 a special note in groupings. 



A bed of Scarlet Salvias is a distinct novelty and is 

 very striking if rightly located, but to avoid too glaring 

 an effect, needs to be relieved by a background of lark 

 green foliage. A few inserted here and there in the flower 

 "bed to supply a contrasting color creates a much more 

 pleasing and less obnoxious effect than a single bed of 

 Salvias conspicuously placed in the center of a lawn. 



There are many kinds of flowers with "mixed" colors 

 giving pleasing combinations when certain colors are 

 eliminated. In a mixed planting of Snapdragons (Antirr- 

 liinums), for instance, bright yellows should be eliminated ; 

 flowers with delicate shades of pink, or with pink 

 gradating to white, make good combinations. There is 



comsiderable difference of opinion as to the merits of 

 single or mixed colors in beds. The best seed companies 

 make a practice of sending out only the best colors in 

 mixed lots of seeds. A bed of mixed colors is not apt to 

 be so monotonous as a bed containing flowers of one 

 color. However, where there is sufficient room, a flower 

 of one color often makes a very striking effect. 



I'oliage is very important to consider in grouping to- 

 gether certain kinds of flowers. Frequently, too little 

 thought is given to character of foliage, and yet this is 

 the one factor which prohibits the grouping of some 

 flowers, l^lowers with coarse foliage, like Dahlias, should 

 either be placed in groups by themselves, or in the back- 

 ground of flower borders. Flowers with finely divided 

 foliage usually have splendid grouping qualities. Dark 

 green is to be preferred to yellow-green foliage. 



Every type of flower has its own series of colors run- 

 ning through several or many varieties, which cannot 

 be duplicated in any other type. It is amazing to con- 

 sider the hundreds of diff'erent color tones to be found 

 in flowers. Color and form are dominant over size in 

 relative importance, with fragrance constituting a very 

 desirable factor. In the most attractive flower form, 

 color, and fragrance reach perfection in the same bloom. 



Time of blooming is another important consideration. 

 Considerable has been written on the subject, and, while 

 planting tables are important, they cannot always be ab- 



A fine example of naturalistic planting. The H hitc Marguerite is 



a good intermediate plant to use between groups of flowers which 



)night not harmonize in color. 



solutely relied upon. Flowers follow certain seasons in 

 their blooming periods, but there is no assurance just 

 when they will bloom during the season. It is unreason- 

 able to expect flowers to bloom out of season, but it is 

 possible, by making successive sowings of seeds, to get 

 some flowers to give successions of bloom. Cutting off 

 old blooms is a great aid in extending the blooming period. 

 Late Spring, early Suiumer, and early Fall are the three 

 periods of the year when seasonal flowers are apt to be 

 in bloom simultaneous! v. 



