26 COLOUR SCHEMES 



some groups of Black Hellebore, just give that com- 

 fortable impression of permanence and distinct inten- 

 tion that are usually so lamentably absent from gardens 

 of spring flowers. 



Many years ago I came to the conclusion that in all 

 flower borders it is better to plant in long rather than 

 block-shaped patches. It not only has a more pictorial 

 effect, but a thin long planting does not leave an 

 unsightly empty space when the flowers are done and 

 the leaves have perhaps died down. The word " drift " 

 conveniently describes the shape I have in mind, and 

 I commonly use it in speaking of these' long-shaped 

 plantings. 



Such drifts are shown faintly in the plan, reduced in 

 nxmiber and simphfied in form, but serving to show 

 the general manner of planting. There are of course 

 many plants that look best in a distinct clvimp or even 

 as single examples, such as Dictamnus (the Burning 

 Bush), and the beautiful pale yellow Pceonia witt- 

 manniana, a single plant of which is marked W near 

 the beginning of the main border. 



For the first seven or eight yards, in the front and 

 middle spaces, there are plants of tender colouring — 

 pale Primroses, Tiarella, pale yellow Daffodils, pale 

 yellow early Iris, pale lemon Wallflower, double Arabis, 

 white Anemones and the palest of the hlac Aubrietias ; 

 also a beautiful pale lilac Iris, one of the Capame 

 hybrids ; with long drifts of white and pale yellow 

 Tulips — ^nothing deeper in colour than the graceful 

 Tulipa reiroflexa. At the back of the border the colours 

 are darker ; purple Wallflower and the great dull red- 



