COLOR, THE SECRET OF CHARM 
79 
Cosmos, Queen’s Lace and Elders lift their lovely sprays of bloom 
above the lowly Candytuft and Phlox. Sweetpeas and Moonvines 
climb the walls and arbors, while Four o’Clocks, Snow-on-the- 
mountain, Magnolias, Alyssum, Snapdragons, Petunias, Verbenas, 
Abelias, Roses, Crinum, Yuccas — that open their bells in the 
moonlight—and Zinnias bloom in early summer and most of them 
continue through till late fall. Datura (Jimson Weed) blossoms in 
late summer and is closely followed by the fragrant old-fashioned 
Tuberose and the Mexican Prickly Poppy. These, in turn, give way 
to the various members of the Chrysanthemum family. After 
every rain dainty Rain Lilies flower and Waterlilies float their 
wax-like cups in their beauty of perfection. Old-fashioned night¬ 
blooming Cereus and Jasmine lure one into the garden on warm 
nights, lest their exquisite loveliness be missed—they pass with the 
kiss of the sun. 
Charming as are single-color schemes, the fascination of color 
combinations intrigues most people to experiment with them rather 
than practice that rigid selectiveness which is invariably necessary 
to insure success with one shade or tone. Yet to obtain the most 
pleasing color combinations, particular attention to the relation¬ 
ship of our strong yellow light to flowers must be carefully con¬ 
sidered. Certain shades are most difficult to place in harmony with 
the rest of the garden. Magenta tones are best in half shade. In 
fact, most of the reds are so insistent that, in general, it is wisest to 
use them sparingly. Against the tropical planting demanded by 
the Spanish-type house, modified and adapted to the requirements 
of the Southwest, reds appear to best advantage. Deep rich red 
Poppies accented by a few spikes of blue Larkspur, Scarlet Lobelia 
cardinalis, or Gilia ruba, Texas Plume, rising from a haze of Plum¬ 
bago Capensis are as effective as Scarlet Salvia amidst pure white 
Alyssum. A bed of rose and purple Petunias are as rich in tone as 
Bluebonnets with annual Scarlet Phlox. Cannas are best grouped 
alone. Dusty Miller, sheltering the delicate grace of the Spider, or 
Guernsey Lily, is an ideal combination. 
It has been long accepted that most flowers show best against 
neutral or light shades. Therefore, the pastel tones are most effec- 
A Wide 
Choice 
of White 
Blossoms 
Combina¬ 
tions of 
Colors 
Fascinating 
