70 COLOUR SCHEMES 



axe glad of it ; but because they give a background 

 that ei ther harmonises in detail with what is in front 

 or will help to enrich or give general c ohesion to thp. 

 picture. The front of the border has some important 

 foliage giving" a distinctly blue effect ; prominent 

 among it Sea-kale. The flower-stems are cut hard 

 back in the earlier summer, and it is now in hand- 

 some fresh leaf. Further back is the fine blue foliage 

 of Lyme-grass {Elymus arenarius), a plant of our 

 sea-shores, but of much value for blue effects in the 

 garden. 



Now is the time to begin to use our reserve of plants 

 in pots. Of these the most useful are the Hydrangeas. 

 They are dropped into any vacant spaces ore or 

 less in groups, in the two ends of the border where 

 there is grey foliage, their pale pink colouring agreeing 

 with these places. Their own leafage is a rather bright 

 green, but we get them so well bloomed that but few 

 leaves are seen, and we arrange as cleverly as we can 

 that the rest shall be more or less hidden by the sur- 

 rounding bluish foliage. I stand a few paces off, 

 directing the formation of the gfoups ; considering 

 their shape in relation to the border as a whole. I say 

 to the gardener that I want a Hydrangea in such a 

 place, and tell him to find the nearest place where 

 it can be dropped in. Sometimes this dropping in, 

 for the pots have to be partly sunk, comes in the way 

 of some established plant. If it is a deep-rooted 

 perennial that takes three or four years to come to 

 its strength, like an Eryngium or a Dictamnus, of 

 course I avoid encroaching on its root-room. But if 



