FLOWERS 
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times, whatever way it is considered. But this 
is rather because it is not really considered at 
all I fancy. An idea that because it is color in 
flowers it will take care of itself, and because 
Nature seems to use it carelessly one may do 
the same, is too prevalent. Colors that are 
inharmonious are inharmonious anywhere and 
in any medium — and Nature only seems to use 
color carelessly. She is a consummate artist 
be it remembered, and can do with dash and 
impunity things which we must beware of at- 
tempting at all — or certainly not until we have 
learned enough of her technique to know that 
it is the very reverse of careless. 
Certain plants are notorious offenders in 
the matter of color, and furnish shades which 
should be avoided like the plague. Preemi- 
nent in this class stand some varieties of the 
herbaceous spirea, decked out in magentas 
that, with faded persistence, cast a gloom over 
everything else in the garden. Magenta is of 
course the one color of all to beware of, owing 
to its belligerent character. It is indeed safe 
to say that with it excluded, no really distress- 
ing combinations will occur; but this is not to 
say that all that it is possible to do has been 
done when magenta has been eliminated. That 
is only the negative side of color combining: 
