HARMONY OF COLOURS. 



603 



white flowers or green margins of grass 

 often restores harmony. All that can be 

 attempted in the harmonious arrange- 

 ment of flowers in a parterre, is an ap- 

 proximation to, and not a perfection of, 

 the principle; for the materials at the 

 disposal of the gardener are much less 

 subservient to his will than the colours 

 in the hands of a painter. 



We have given in Plate XXVIII. an- 

 other specimen showing an arrangement 

 of colours, employing only the three pri- 

 mary ones — red, yellow, and blue— as 

 principals; using the neutral tints, brown 

 and white, only as secondaries where two 

 of the primary colours approximate to- 

 gether. Other neutrals, however, might 

 be substituted for brown and white with 

 equal propriety. 



In regard to grouping, small beds 

 should be filled with one colour only, 

 while larger beds may contain three or 

 more ; — and these should be arranged in 

 parallel stripes like a ribbon, as shown in 

 the marginal beds ; or in concentric circles 

 of unequal breadths, as in the centre bed ; 

 or in three or more segments, as in the 

 smaller circles. This latter division into 

 three can only be happily employed when 

 the bed is rather small, say not exceeding 

 3 or 4 feet in diameter : if larger, it will 

 be better to divide them into six or 

 nine segments or parts, with probably a 

 centre of some neutral colour — as white, 

 brown, &c. 



Large circles will always look best 

 when the colours are arranged in con- 

 centric lines, as shown in the large circle 

 in the centre of our figure, and two of the 

 smaller ones at the sides, care being taken 

 that the tallest plants occupy the centre 

 of the bed. In the case before us, white 

 might be substituted for brown at the 

 base of the shell-pattern, and either may 

 be extended (providing the figure be not 

 too large) to the full extent of the two 

 lower lobes of the figure shown at present 

 red. The blue in the centre lobe as at 

 present should then be transferred to one 

 of the yellows, and a red colour substi- 

 tuted for it, leaving the figure thus : The 

 three primary colours, yellow, blue, and 

 red, forming the three middle lobes; while 



the two under lobes, and the base from 

 which they all proceed, is of a white co- 

 lour. 



In the concentric lines of colour, as 

 well as in longitudinal parallelograms, 

 the breadth of each colour should bear a 

 proportion to the breadth of the bed, the 

 length being immaterial. Thus a circle 

 20 feet in diameter might have a centre 

 of white, or any other neutral tint, 7 feet 

 across, followed by a yellow zone 6 feet 

 broad, next by a blue 5 feet, and last, by 

 a red 2 feet in width. The same rule 

 applies to ovals or figures of a longi- 

 tudinal form. 



Arrangements of this form are the 

 most striking at first sight, and are 

 probably the best when the parterre is to 

 be seen from a distance above it. It is 

 also the most frequently adopted in what 

 may be called the grouping system. It 

 is also the most easily effected. 



The harmonious arrangement of colours 

 in small parterres is a far more intricate 

 and difficult subject, often attempted, but 

 seldom satisfactorily accomplished. This 

 arrangement of colours is best effected in 

 large beds, where the various tints can be 

 blended together in their just proportions, 

 which can seldom be effected in small 

 parterres, particularly if very narrow. 



In this example, margins of green grass 

 surround the groups, which, if the garden 

 be upon a large scale, should not be less 

 than 2 feet in breadth, the intermediate 

 space being covered with gravel. If the 

 garden be small, box-edgings should be 

 used instead of verges ; but they should 

 not be less than 3 inches in thickness, and 

 cut quite flat on the top, because green is 

 wanted to subdue the colour of the gra- 

 vel, whatever it may be. 



In neither of our coloured Plates have 

 we attempted to exhibit colours exactly 

 according to the formula laid down by 

 painters ; for, indeed, this would be a diffi- 

 cult task, seeing how greatly at variance 

 they are with one another; and because 

 we are convinced, also, that had we done 

 so, however well their arrangement might 

 have appeared on paper, they would have 

 produced a very different effect upon the 

 ground. 



