The white foxglove is an invaluable harmonizer for the June border, being particularly effective as a background for Sweet William 
Color in the Flower Garden 
THE ONLY WAY IN WHICH THE AMATEUR MAY HOPE TO AVOID THE CLASH OF 
INHARMONIOUS COLORS IS BY A PLENTIFUL AND JUDICIOUS USE OF WHITE FLOWERS 
by Adeline Thayer Thomson 
Photograph by the author and others 
T HE element that finally determines the success or failure of 
a garden is the color harmony between the flowers—or 
the lack of it. No greater problem, however, confronts the gar¬ 
dening enthusiast. The amateur, thinking that a satisfying color 
scheme can be developed only after years of intimate study among 
the flowers themselves, frequently fails to make even the effort 
towards such a far-off ideal. The well seasoned garden enthusi¬ 
ast, too, is apt to become careless and even discouraged when, 
time after time, his flowers fail to come true to type, spoiling the 
carefully planned effect he has worked out; or important ele¬ 
ments in his composition refuse 
to thrive. 
It seems rather hopeless, does 
it not? And yet there is a solu¬ 
tion of the problem for the veriest 
tyro — a sure way out of the whole 
difficulty: Use white --flowering 
plants in profusion. A judicious 
mixture of white masses among 
the colors will reconcile the most 
inimical neighboring plants, and 
will show off to the very best ad¬ 
vantage those blooms which, by 
reason of their delicacy of color¬ 
ing, are thrown into obscurity by 
blatant companions. 
Both annual and perennial 
classes are rich in white-flowering 
types. After using many of these 
in my garden, however, I find that some of the varieties combine 
characteristics making for practical usefulness in color adjust¬ 
ment with rare decorative quality and attractiveness in a greater 
degree than do others. For convenience in planting, these varie¬ 
ties are named in connection with the month of flowering. 
The early spring display among the hardy plants, it will be 
remembered, is painted in shades of pink, purple, magenta, and 
yellow. A color scheme full of beauty, to be sure, under tasteful 
treatment, but when carelessly blended presenting only a tangled 
mass of warring discord. Four splendid white-flowering peren¬ 
nials that are warranted, if plant¬ 
ed generously, to keep the garden 
in accord throughout April and 
most of the month of May, are 
blood-root, Arabis alpina, Iberis, 
and Phlox sublata. For the lat¬ 
ter half of May, two white types 
of the German iris—Florentine 
Alba and Bridesmaid — give in¬ 
valuable service. Not only are 
these varieties useful in reconcil¬ 
ing the many-hued blossoms of 
their own stately tribe, but 
grouped among columbines of too 
contrasting shades, or compan¬ 
ioned with the lovely but trying 
pink pyrethrums and peonies, 
these white irises give very pleas¬ 
ing results. 
A long and prolific flowering season is the useful attribute 
of the Shasta daisy in separating warring colors 
( 25 2 ) 
