186 The Amateur's Book of the Dahlia 



accidental neighbours often make charming as- 

 sociates. With them may be grown gaillardia, 

 sneezeweed, zinnia, nasturtium, annual poinc- 

 ettia; even the African marigold melts into the 

 picture. 



Tenderest recollections have I of a dear garden 

 now gone, which possessed at a secluded end a 

 Red Walk. A stately double row of tall Kath- 

 erine Duer and Kalif flanked each side of a wide 

 path. In front there grew vivid cannas, blood 

 red in hue, without a hint of brick. At their 

 feet grew the humble red geranium of like pure 

 tone, softened by the green of peony foliage just 

 turning as it dies. It was not intended as a 

 place to linger and sit. One walked through it 

 with military step — exalted. 



Red dahlias, grown en masse, looked at from 

 across a sweep of lawn, make a stunning picture. 

 Place them in front of a row of "purple fringe," 

 now gone to seed, with red-berried dogwood as a 

 background — or if you are fortunate enough to 

 have a planting of sugar maples and a silver 

 maple or two your picture is already painted. 



Old rose, like rare wine, should be treated 

 with respect. If pure in tone, these dahlias 

 should be planted with soft grays and dull white. 

 Boltonia again will lighten the upper part of the 

 picture, and some of the grays used with laven- 



