THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN. 
19 
colours is neither a good practical balance nor agreeable to 
the educated eye. A square yard each of red, blue, and yellow, 
whether in grass or gravel, will not make a telling parterre. 
But a block of blue, between two blocks of red, and all three 
banded with a silvery grey line or a sufficient breadth of 
green grass, might constitute an agreeable, though humble 
feature of a garden. It is well, indeed, in every scheme to 
allow one colour with its related shades to predominate, and 
to employ the others as relief agents rather than as features. 
Lastly, strong contrasts should not be indulged in often; they 
are the antitheses of harmony, as you may discover by obser¬ 
vation. Thus we shall find two geraniums like Thomas 
Moore and Feast of Boses, the first intense scarlet, the second 
intense rose pink, produce a most delightful harmony when 
planted side by side. And again, Bonfire geranium, a dazzling 
scarlet, may be planted by the side of Purple King verbena, 
with the certainty of a rich and perfect combination. This 
much, however, must suffice on the subject of colour for the 
present; but we shall have to return to it in connection with 
the plants required for the bedding system. If example is 
better than precept, the best part of this chapter is now to 
come, for examples are needed; and the few selected are well 
adapted to illustrate principles. 
The subjoined figure, p. 20, represents a panel garden, drawn 
to scale. It lies immediately below the terrace, and is approached 
by a flight of steps. On either side is a strip of grass, twelve 
feet wide, on the same level as the flower beds, and beyond 
that the ground rises in a grass slope (or ramp) to the general 
level of the lawn above. Two examples of planting this 
garden for a summer display will be given, and the first shall 
be a harmony in red. No. 1, Stella geranium, or an equally 
rich and heavy crimson scarlet geranium ; 2, 2, Blue Lobelia, 
and a golden-leafed geranium, such as Golden Banner; 3, 3, 
a dwarf scarlet geranium, such as Attraction or Thomas Moore; 
4, 4, 4, 4, same as centre ; 5, 5, 5, 5, solid planting of a good 
rose-pink geranium, like Christine, or Feast of Boses. Nos. 
4 and 5 being in the same boundary, and, in fact, one and the 
same bed, the scarlet must occupy the half nearest the centre, 
and the pink the other half; 6, 6, 6, 6, Amaranthus melan- 
cholicus, edged with Centaurea ragusina; 7, 7, Coleus Ver- 
schaffelti, with outer band of yellow Calceolaria ; 8, 8, same 
as 3, 3, and edged with blue Lobelia; 9, 9, a pale pink gera- 
