264 GARDEN PLANNING 



Flowers — In planting a bed or border it is 

 necessary to consider the flowers in respect to — 



1. Colour. 



2. Habit. 



3. Period of bloom. 



4. Succession. 



I. The most striking characteristic of the 

 flower undoubtedly is colour, and the success 

 of any piece of planting will depend to a large 

 extent upon the skill and good taste with 

 which the colours are managed. In the days 

 when the old-fashioned flowers were deposed 

 to make room for that unfortunate quartet, 

 scarlet geranium, scarlet sage, canna, and coleus, 

 the canons of good taste were lost sight of in 

 the new-born enthusiasm for vivid contrast 

 in primary colours. The vogue for these 

 flowers has now somewhat declined, but the 

 trail of it still lingers in many gardens, and 

 gardeners continue to plant as if the acme 

 of good effect depended upon the accom- 

 plishment of a series of garish contrasts in the 

 most brilliant gamut of colour at com- 

 mand. It is a question whether we should 

 ever attempt to associate vividly contrasting 

 colours, for if the mass of each colour is not 



