COLOUR IN MY GARDEN 



Neapolitan and Venetian blues, and even paler, to almost 

 the depth of ultramarine, and approaching in some flowers 

 the strength of what are called in the colour chart Smalt 

 and Helvetia blues. For these pure blues — to which belong, 

 of course, the loveliest of blue flowers, the Delphiniums — the 

 happiest associations are flowers wearing soft shades of 

 yellow and cream and buff, apricot and pink. 



There is something particularly appealing about a blue 

 flower. This seems always to have been the case, for there 

 is hardly a flower of this hue but has won for itself several 

 intimate and affectionate pet names, showing the closeness 

 of its life, whether in the garden or in the open, with the 

 lives of flower-loving humanity. To-day this affection 

 shows itself in a different manner; there is something like 

 a craze for blue borders and even for whole blue gardens. 

 Yellow and pink and white gardens there are occasionally, 

 but in no such numbers as one sees and hears of blue ones. 

 This in itself is well, for it shows appreciation of and draws 

 attention to these best-beloved flowers; but it seems to me 

 that from an aesthetic standpoint the segregation of blue 

 flowers is a mistake. They, more than any others, need the 

 flash of scarlet, the cloud of white, the drift of apricot or buff 

 to kindle them into life and bring out their full quality. 



I have seen a good many blue borders 1 very consist- 

 ently worked out, but the more successful they were as 

 achievements the less pleasing they seemed as garden 

 pictures. The prettiest blue border I ever saw was one 

 wherein a few Nasturtium seeds had been accidently drop- 

 ped, and between the idegantly aspiring stalks of Larkspur 

 and Anchusa one got little sparkles of flame and saffron 



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