COLOUR IN MY GARDEN 



white, lavender, violet, and blue flowers that flourish in 

 shaded places. 



Deep purple and dusky violet-blue flowers are of significant 

 value to the creator of garden pictures. Their character 

 is almost that of shadow, and shadow is as important in the 

 garden as upon the canvas or the facade to define the 

 quality of light and to give variety and interest to the 

 composition. All dark-coloured flowers have something of 

 this value, as have dark-leaved shrubs and evergreens and 

 may well be considered with trees and architectural features 

 in the distribution of light and shade in the garden picture. 



Someone has said that gardening is an art of observation 

 and though it be true that 



"Nature hath meal and bran, contempt and grace," 



no stretch of roadside or meadow, wild hedgerow or 

 breadth of marsh but has some lesson to convey to us of 

 beauty or usefulness. One of these that we in our anxiety 

 for a frost-to-frost display of colour are apt to overlook is 

 the boon of simple green— the intrinsic beauty and value of 

 foliage. The arrangement of our gardens so that there will 

 always be a sufficient amount of luxuriant foliage as a set- 

 ting and foil for the many-hued flowers is most important yet 

 seldom considered. Fine foliage gives to the garden an 

 expression of freshness and vigour and against it the blossom- 

 ing groups stand out with power and distinction. 



It is said that green is the last colour to be appreciated 

 even by the most aesthetic, and it is significant that the 

 Japanese, who are more sensitive to colour than any other 

 people and unequalled in their flower art, plant whole green 



