268 GARDEN PLANNING 



Gray foliage should be associated with vivid 

 colours such as crimson, scarlet, and pure blue; 

 brown or purple foliage with yellow and orange. 

 Magenta crimsons and bluish pinks should 

 not be placed in juxtaposition to pure crimsons 

 or scarlets. 



Rose-pink and rosy mauve harmonize with 

 silvery gray, and we may have this combina- 

 tion in one plant as in Stachys lanata. As 

 might be expected, nature rarely makes a 

 mistake, so that a plant's own foliage is gener- 

 ally in harmony with its flowers, or furnishes 

 a good background contrast for them. 



How little the subject of colour is under- 

 stood, even by those who ofi"er guidance in 

 the matter, is shown by the wide differences 

 of view that writers have adopted. One 

 authority, whose opinions one would imagine 

 were the outcome of some defect of vision, 

 says, "Nor have I any preference for one 

 colour over another; but I have very decided 

 notions that the various colours should be so 

 completely commingled that one would be 

 puzzled to determine what tint predominates 

 in the entire arrangement." This surely is most 

 precise advice on how not to achieve a good 



