THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN. 
43 
that idea makes itself expressed in a feature ; and the result 
will be, gratification of a higher order than would result 
from a disposition of colours without regard to any principle 
at all. It will, of course, greatly depend upon the nature of 
the design to be painted, the nature of the surroundings, the 
degree of grandeur of the buildings, walks, lawns, and so 
forth, how this idea is to be applied; but an artist in colour 
will not be long in determining anywhere. Probably in nine- 
tenths of all the private gardens, the best colour to take tlie 
lead all through a complete scheme would be scarlet. But it 
does not follow that, if we select scarlet, we are to use no 
other colours. Nothing of the sort. It is to be understood, 
in such a case, that scarlet is to rule; that there are to be 
several shades of scarlet lending aid to each other; and that 
other colours are to come in as dividing lines, separating 
blocks, boundaries, and relief agents—all these being so used 
as to lead the eye to scarlet, and again to scarlet, claiming 
for themselves no importance whatever. 
Suppose, for the sake of illustration, we proceed to plant 
a group of beds, beyond which there is an enclosing ribbon 
border. We may have in the centre a neutral tint for the 
purpose of helping the eye to range over the whole design 
without being drawn to the centre by any undue attraction. 
If we make the centre yellow, we ruin the scheme; the eye is 
drawn to it—fixed, and charmed, and spell-bound by it; it 
wars against the predominance of scarlet, and the idea with 
which we begun is already trodden under foot. But we may 
have there a variegated-leaved geranium, and one of the 
creamy section will be preferable to a white leaf. If more 
colour than a creamy leaf variegate would afford were re¬ 
quired, some soft shade of scarlet, or red, or pink, would 
answer admirably; and a reddish-lavender, puce, or rose, 
would be admissible. The outer beds all through, in which 
the great leading features of the design are made manifest, 
should be in the strongest tones of scarlet; and, if the 
pattern has some complicated fillings up, relief colours will 
be wanted in them—not for the purpose of introducing as 
many colours as possible, but solely to help out the expression 
of the whole; and give the scarlet its full importance as the 
one colour to which every other is subservient. For inter¬ 
mediate dots and relief-agents, however, rosy-purple, yellow, 
white, and even blue, will be admissible; but the purple will be. 
