190 COME INTO THE GARDEN 



punity things which we must beware of attempt- 

 ing until we have learned enough of her tech- 

 nique to have acquired facility. 



Certain plants are notorious offenders in the 

 matter of color without doubt, and furnish com- 

 binations which should be avoided lilve the 

 plague. Preeminent in this class stand the mix- 

 tures of zinnias that are usually seen; and phlox 

 is a notorious offender with its salmon and ma^ 

 genta shades. Yet magenta is a wonderful color 

 — properly placed. Elimination of any color 

 therefore is only the negative side of color pos- 

 sibility, and its positive side is capable of most 

 delightful development. 



As a general guide to the use of colors, it is 

 well to fix the three primary colors in mind and 

 the combinations which form the secondary 

 colors. The primary colors (old style) are pure 

 yellow, pure red, and pure blue, as of course 

 everyone knows. These are primary because 

 they may not be further dissected into com- 

 ponents, each standing by itself as a basic unit. 

 The secondary colors are scarlet, purple, and 

 green, and these are each made up of two of the 

 primary or basic colors, and no more, theoret- 

 ically at least — yellow and red forming scarlet, 

 red and blue forming purple, and blue and yel- 

 low forming green. An actually pure color is 



