FLOWERS OF ALL SEASONS 193 



foliage, or do not reduce it at most below a one 

 part red to seven or eight parts green. 



Blue and scarlet are the really difficult mem- 

 bers of the trinity to handle, for some mysteri- 

 ous reason. It is a combination which may be 

 avoided of course but we are not seeking to 

 get around these things. Therefore we must 

 find the way to make it tolerable. This lies in 

 keeping its proportions even farther apart than 

 the red and green combination requires. In- 

 deed, either the blue or the scarlet must be 

 practically 7iil save on close inspection. 



White flowers may of course break up the 

 most unfriendly elements, but I do not fancy 

 a resort to this means as greatly as some. For 

 white, of course, can only separate, never unite. 

 Progression around the circle is the only path 

 to real union, never doubt that; and a garden 

 whose color scheme is based upon this pilgrim- 

 age is a garden of the greatest distinction, qui- 

 etly and richly beautiful and filled with wonder- 

 ful shades and tones. Whereas the common re- 

 liance upon white to break up inharmony re- 

 sults in a brusque, disjointed, and sometimes 

 most unsatisfactory effect. Moreover, white is 

 itself too beautiful to be relegated to the thank- 

 less role of buffer between warring factions! 



There is one other way out of color difficul- 



