The Graduated Colour Border 
vivid green and other colours, tapers to its apex, which 
is lost to sight in grey and white. In the most beau- 
tiful landscape the richest and most vivid colour is 
always in the foreground, and fades in tone in the 
middle distance, and the eye loses itself in the distance 
in indefinite purple and grey, and it is, in effect, this 
idea that is aimed at in the ‘‘ graduated colour border.”’ 
To achieve it, one carefully groups at one end of the 
border all the most powerful and vivid colours, such as 
rich crimson or brilliant orange. Starting with this 
as a base, graduate the colours somewhere in the fol- 
lowing order : crimson, scarlet, orange scarlet, orange 
yellow, deep yellow, pale yellow, creamy yellow. Now 
it becomes necessary to pick up another colour, and 
the best for associating with pale yellow is pale blue ; 
thence we pass through bright blue, deep blue, purple 
blue, lilac, grey, and white. A liberal supply of light 
grassy foliage should be used throughout the border, 
and plenty of white, to give a sense of continuity, and 
it serves also to act as a foil for the colours. I have 
mentioned only one range of graduation; there are 
really several, and if the idea is carefully and cor- 
rectly carried out the effect is charming. The diffi- 
culties in the way of its success are not to be ignored, 
however, and unless one has an intimate knowledge 
of the plants it should not be attempted. Moreover, 
it cannot be completed in one year’s effort, but each 
season a careful study of the border will reveal faults 
to be rectified when the autumn comes round. 
There is, however, a second colour scheme that I 
strongly advise, and it is the system of Colour Group- 
ing. By this I mean the arranging in distinct groups 
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