CHAPTER XI 



THE BLUE FLOWER BORDER 



" Blue thou art, intensely blue ! 



Flower ! whence came thy dazzling hue ? 

 When I opened first mine eye, 

 Upward glancing to the sky, 

 Straightway from the firmament 

 Was the sapphire brilliance sent." 



— James Montgomery. 



UESTIONS of color relations in 

 a garden are most opinion-mak- 

 ing and controversy-provoking. 

 Shall we plant by chance, or by a 

 flower-loving instinct for shel- 

 tered and suited locations, as was 

 done in all old-time gardens, and 

 with most happy and most un- 

 affected results ? or shall we plant severely by col- 

 ors — all yellow flowers in a border together? all 

 red flowers side by side ? all pink flowers near each 

 other? This might be satisfactory in small gardens, 

 but I am uncertain whether any profound gratifi- 

 cation or full flower succession would come from 

 such rigid planting in long flower borders. 



William Morris warns us that flowers in masses 

 are " mighty strong color," and must be used with 

 caution. A still greater cause for hesitation would 



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