Colour Harmonies 
of sumptuous splendour. In acquiring this we 
get even more brilliancy ; the eye and mind are 
filled with a consciousness of delightful satis- 
faction of attainment instead of their being, as 
it were, rudely attacked, and, in the case of the 
more sensitive among us, actually shocked by 
a harsh crudity that has some of the displeasing 
qualities of vulgarity. 
Although the more reasonable and enjoyable 
way of putting flowers together can be better 
done with the tender summer plants of stouter 
habit, such as Dahlias, Cannas, Geraniums and 
the rest, it is well to apply the same principle 
to borders of annuals. The plan shows a double 
border so arranged. It only names a portion 
of the much larger number of annuals that could 
be grouped together, or with those shown, and 
possibly in quite different ways, but always 
with the same intention. It begins on the left 
with blue or bluish flowers with white, or both 
white and a little pale yellow. There is some 
quality about blue that invites contrast as an 
alternative to harmony, for the scheme would 
be almost equally pictorial if, instead of merging 
the blues into yellow or pale pink, it led them to 
lilacs and purples ; but in my own practice I 
prefer treating the pure blues with contrast of 
white or yellow. For the rest, the whole is in a 
harmonious sequence. Whether the blues reach 
the strong yellows through pink or pale yellow 
43 
