COLOUR IN MY GARDEN 



CHAPTER I 

 COLOUR IN THE GARDEN 



Flowers first broke up the prism and made the most subtle portion of 

 our sight. — Maeterlinck. 



THE chief concern of the gardeners of old was simply 

 to make things grow. They prized each flower for 

 itself, chose for it the most suited location, and called 

 it by quaint and charming names, but they were not 

 disturbed that its colour failed to harmonize with that of 

 its neighbour. Crimson Peonies elbowed magenta Foxgloves 

 unrebuked, and Tiger Lilies and "purple" Phlox consorted 

 comfortably without censure. Under the care of our green- 

 fingered grandmothers gardens throve and were full of 

 hearty, wholesome colour and searching fragrance ; and they 

 breathed subtly the gentle personality of those whose rare 

 leisure was spent in digging and pruning, weeding and 

 dreaming among the plants they loved so well. 



We may learn much of patience and tenderness, sincerity 

 and thoroughness from these gardeners of other days and may 

 well seek to endow our gardens with the restful charm of 

 theirs, but we may fairly claim for our own day the great 



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