Book of Gardens 



27 



PLANNING GARDENS OF ONE COLOR 



The Principles of Color Variations, Contrasts and Harmonies Applied 

 to Gardens of Blue, Red and Yellow 



WHEN we speak of a garden being of one 

 color we mean that one color predomi- 

 nates, and that such flowers as have contrast- 

 ing and haniionious tones are used with it to 

 give the predominant color greater prominence. 

 This ma)' be interpreted in several ways — a 

 yellow garden in spring, a blue garden in mid- 

 summer and a red garden in the autumn. Or, 

 if the owner's penchant for one color is very 

 decided, the plants can be so selected as to 

 carr}' that color through from spring to au- 

 tumn. The color variations are 

 infinite. Here we can discuss only 

 gardens of blue, red and yellow. 



To be effective, the flowers for 

 a blue garden must be of a true 

 blue color, entirely free from tones 

 verging on lavender and violet. 

 Inasmuch as blue is a receding 

 color more of it must be used than 

 is necessar)' in the case of strong, 

 advancing colors like scarlet and 

 yellow, and the eft'ect will be weak 

 unless employed in masses suffi- 

 ciently large to overcome this 

 tendency. 



Because a garden of one color 

 is always uninteresting, there 

 should be added to the blue at 

 each season a little deep, royal 

 purple of a shade that reveals no 

 hint of red or magenta and whose 

 velvety richness almost equals the 

 contrast value of black. Such a 

 purple combined with pure sk}- 

 blue achieves dazzling results. To 

 intensify the blue in the foregoing 

 contrast, introduce some pale yel- 

 low and cream)' white. The 

 deeper the blue, the more intense 

 the yellow. 



Accordingly the pale blue of 

 anchusa or IJax looks best with 

 the straw color of Iris flavescens, 

 and the deep cobalt of Veronica 

 with the intense orange of the 

 California poppy. It is necessar)- 

 to bear in mind, however, that 

 these contrasting tones must at all 

 times be kept stricth' subordinate 



to the particular blue with which they are used. 



In making the plan for the blue, or any oth;r 

 color garden, it is impossible to forecast the 

 results to a nicety; but if the contrast proves 

 too strong when the garden is in bloom, it is 

 easy to reduce the tone b)- sufficient blossoms 

 to secure the proper eft'ect. 



The location of the various plants will de- 

 pend on their height and the form of the plants 

 themselves. For example, spikes of gladiolus 

 beside soft masses of gypsophila; larkspur in 



large round masses in the center of the beds 

 where they may dominate during their period 

 of bloom; asters around the boundaries where 

 they may grow inconspicuously in the fore and 

 mid parts of the season. An early flowering 

 plant should have a correspondingly late one 

 in front of it, which will hide the vacant space 

 when the former dies. 



In order to test the distribution of color and 



bloom for each season, lay pieces of tracing 



paper over the plan, one piece for each season, 



and trace in color the masses that 



-;v<s_ would be in bloom at that par- 



■'% ticular time. 



These same general principles 

 apply to any kind of color gar- 

 den. The one great rule to re- 

 member is that the colors must be 

 strong and bold and undiluted. 

 For a time the American gar- 

 deners had a flair for what they 

 called pastel shades — colors di- 

 luted by white or hues diluted b)- 

 black, resulting in general effects 

 of soft pink and pale blue and 

 mauve. These gardens were rest- 

 ful, but one tired of them. In the 

 majority of cases the garden of 

 bright, intense effects is more 

 desirable. In the country where 

 everything is green, a bit of bright 

 coloring is a relief in a monotony 

 of verdure. 



This is the justification for a 

 red garden. Skillfully place red 

 flowers in patches against a back- 

 ground of red foliage with which 

 are mingled white flowers of fine 

 texture, and you have real beauty. 

 Such a garden cannot be large. 

 The choice of white flowers to 

 combine with the red should also 

 be limited to those of small size 

 and soft texture or of solitary 

 stateliness. 



The larkspurs, in a wide 



variety of blues, supply a 



dominating note during June, 



and well on into Julv 



From early July until October the showy, 



light blue bells of the platycodons are one of 



the garden's real sights 



Because of their vari- 

 ability, it is difficult to 

 get aquilegias of a uni- 

 form blue. But they 

 are good for secondary 

 positions 





The mertensia, or Virginia cowslip, blooms in 



late April and May. It is light blue, with 



luxuriant gray-green foliage 



