464 ON COLOUR IN TREE SCENERY. 



group, the outline being so broken that there are bays 

 and promontories. In parks and gardens, single trees or 

 groups of trees, each group of a distinct colour or shade of 

 colour, would seem most appropriate. In working out 

 these ideas we must never lose sight of harmony, remem- 

 bering, however, that there are harmonies of contrast 

 as well as of analogy. 



There is another point which should on no account be 

 lost sight of. There are some trees, the effect of which 

 is beautiful close to the eye, but which lose their distinc- 

 tive character in the distance. Such are more appropriate 

 to the garden, where brought in close contact with the eye, 

 than in the distant landscape. But there are others which 

 lose little or nothing from a distant view, and these facts 

 must be taken into account and acted on when planting. 

 As a rule, trees with variegated leaves are best placed 

 near to the eye, and those of one uniform tint are most 

 effective in the distance. 



I have already instituted a comparison between the 

 colours of flowers and the colours of leaves, but there 

 is an important difference in them which I must not omit 

 to mention. The colours of flowers are often so bright 

 and pronounced that certain of them cannot be judiciously 

 brought into close contact ; they require an intervening 

 mass or line of some intermediate or neutral colour 

 to render the effect agreeable and satisfactory. Not so, 

 however, with the colours of trees ; they are so subdued in 

 tone that the association of the strongest colours does not 

 produce violent contrast. Again, for this very reason 

 the colours of leaves being less bright than those of flowers 

 it becomes necessary here to accomplish by breadth of 

 colour that which with flowers is effected by brilliancy of 

 tone. Thus it follows that great breadths of scenery may 

 be dealt with most effectively. It is indeed a mere ques- 

 tion of outlay, and nothing more, whether variety of colour 

 shall or shall not be extended from the garden to the outer 

 pleasure ground and shrubberies, the hills of plantations, 



