56 



Greening's Color Chart 



THE accompanying chart will be found of great as- 

 sistance in designing gardens, especially formal 

 gardens, where the effect lies largely in the perfection 

 of the color scheme. The points of the triangle show 

 the three great primaries from which all other colors are 

 produced. Diametrically opposite these places are their 

 perfect contrasting colors, which for convenience may be 

 called secondary colors. The points on the circle situated 

 midway between the primary and secondary colors show 

 the middle tones, or half colors, with their true contrasts 

 directly opposite. To show the use of the chart as a 

 determiner of harmony we will take as an example, purple. 

 Moving along the circle on each side of purple we find its 

 harmony decreasing as we leave it until we reach its most 

 imperfect tones, turquoise and scarlet. Continuing the 

 round of the circle, we approach its conti'asting colors, 

 gradually getting more pleasing until we reach its perfect 

 contrast, yellow. The dots marked on the line towards 

 the center, white, denote the various tones of purple pro- 

 duced by its mixture with white ; any of these tones forms 

 a harmony with pure purple. 



This may be called a prismatic chart. It corresponds 

 to the chromatic scale in music, and is a perfect guide in 

 color compositions. 



I am well aware that many people regard this as an 

 over-refinement in taste, and to them a jumble of color 

 — a sort of scrambled-egg efi^ect — is agreeable in the same sense 

 that rag-time music is agreeable to the untrained ear. At the same 

 time it is very certain that the higher pleasures of gardening — the 

 festhetic pleasures — the pleasures of the soul — are found where the 

 chords of color are in perfect harmony. Landscape art largely 

 depends on the taste of the gardener in being able to create a 

 harmonious combination of colors and contrasts, such as will prove 

 pleasing and restful to the eye. The study of harmonious color- 

 blendings in the grouping of trees and shrubs, or the laying-out 

 of a flower bed, constitutes one of the cardinal features of the 

 Greening Landscape System. 



A musical director of my accjuaint- 

 ance calls rag-time music the slang of 

 RAG-TIME GARDENS ni^^sic, just as certain vagrant words are 



called the slang of human speech ; and 

 there is, indeed, a wonderful resemblance between literary and 

 musical compositions, the (|ualities that make them classic being 



YELLOU 



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Plate 45 



purity of style and sublimity of conception. The same criterion 

 is applicable to garden compositions, and detached plantings of 

 color-daubs that have no rhythmic association with the general 

 theme of the landscape, are, properly speaking, but vulgar garden 

 slang, or to use the popular expression, they are rag-time gardens. 

 Of rag-time gardens we ha\'e a superabundance ; of classical gar- 

 dens, but a few. 



The sense of sight is our most precious possession and the one that is 

 first cultivated. Few things in life are more amusing than to see a little 

 child in semi-bewilderment at the mystery of some brightly-colored objects. 

 As the mind develops and the constructive faculty is awakened, the kaleido- 

 scope ceases to be a toy and its sjmimetrical designs suggest patterns for 

 carpets, wall paper, mosaics, flower beds, etc. It is probable that the lower 

 animals perceive the beauty of color and enjoy it as much as we do; and 

 it is reasonably certain that birds are keenly sensitive to it, else why do 

 they bedeck themselves so gaily to charm their mates? Even moths are 

 susceptible to the allurements of color, and it is nature's plan to secure 

 the cross-pollination of fruits by inviting their visits through the beauty of 

 flowers. 



