Weekly graphic. [volume] (Kirksville, Adair Co., Missouri) 1880-1949, 1883-08-17
Harmony Of o,Ior in rlor;cnl;ure.

Harmony Of Color in Horticulture.
Artistic arrangement in flower gar
aens is thing very easy to talk about
but il is not quite SO easy 10 put it int
practice. Anybody can point out tn,
errors. the want of taste. the glaring de
fects in the laying out of \ partcrre. bu
it is quite another thing If they are ask
ed how it is to be remedied. EVERYTHING
seems so easy and so simple when yor
merely look on rs critic prepared tt
.nd fault without having any share IN
the labor. So many difficulties lie in the
wayofharmonious coloring and arrange.
ment rs applied TO Hover gardening
far more than j. would appear 10 s
superficial observer. Although there
are flowers Of every hue and of all sizes,
yet they may not bloom ut exactly tbs
same time. or some may fade sooner
than Others or the form and size of one
plant may lot contrast favorably with
the Others.
Of late years we have made rapid
progress in artistic Horticulture. No
longer do we submit TO see our gardens
scattered over rccklcssly. without re-
gard to harmony or contrast. with flow
ers of every color or species. In our
days We see more tasteful arrangements
and dispositions in the Hover gardens
of some of the poorer suburban streets
than were displayed in the extensive and
costly parterres of thirty or forty years
back. Flowers were formerly taken by
striking contrast without relation TO har-
mony, and planted here and there. wher-
ever spo: appeared suitable for thei,
reception; but now, by grouping plants
in masses. and attending. SO far rs pos
sible. to their relative hues and forms.
We can produce a finer and more striking
effect with a half dozen species than the
gardeners of past times did with half a
hundred.
Nothing looks worse in 4 flower gar
den than to see plants. large and small,
bright or sombre. placed heterogene-
ously together in one bed. 1t is usual to
see small beds filled with six or seven
varieties of flowers of rs many different
colors. This imparts very scattered
effect to the parterre. for too much va
riety in detail leaves no spot for the eye
to rest on. Small beds should never con-
tain more than one species and one
color. though this may be rs bright as
YOU please. Large beds, on the contra
nv, may be planted with greater vari-
etv of flowers. Great care should al
ways be taken TO plant flowers of the
brightest hues-scarlet pelargoniums,
Co. ox,,,,l, ~, tho oaptar Of a., ,rro,,,,
and these should be softened by degrees
with flowers of less brilliant tint
towards the margin of the bed. White
flowers are, perhaps. the best to plant
along the margin Immediately inside the
box or turf edging.
In large parterres the beds should be
separated from the bright gravel paths
by margin of green turf not less than
two feet in breadth. In smaller gardens
this would occupy too much space, how
ever, and box edging is generally substi-
tuted. But this should not be less than
three inches in thickness, and perfectly
flat on top.
To form perfectly harmonious con-
trast in n parterre, it is best to plant one
of the three primary colors-scarlet, blue
or yellOw-neXt to another; or, if per-
feet primary is not at hand, to take the
complementary color formed by COM
pounding the other two, green being
Complementary color to red, orange to
blue, and purple to yellow. Many per-
sons, indeed, say that two primaries
form too violent a contrast. and recon-
mend that the complementary should be
employed in preference. For instance,
red must be contrasted bv blue or yell
low, or else by green, but not by purple
or orange. because red enters into the
composition of both these colors. 1nde-
fault of any of these colors, white or
some neutral tinted flowers may be en-
ployed. In the same way blue flowers
should be contrasted by either red, vel
low, or orange. but rot by purple or
green, because blue enters into the COM
position of both colors. Also, with yell
low, you must contrast with blue, red,
or purple, but not with green or orange.
There are many neutral colors, as red
browne olive brown, or pale lavender,
or even light pink, which will form suf-
ficient contrast to the others. White is
very useful for placing between flowers
of a brilliant hue which harmonic
badly.
Very bright colors. however, should
always be used sparingly and never be
placed in large masses, because the eye
is wearied by too much positive color
ing. 1t is very great mistake to plant
o clump of dark, funereal looking ever
green's in the center of a bed of bright
scarlet pelargoniums, bright yellow
dahlias, or white candytuft as strong
and to make the whole look |
cheerful. But SO far from having this
effect, it imparts harsh, disagreeable
effect to the entire group. Masses of
lark green should never be contrasted
Immediately with brighter colors. If
hey are softened by degrees with neu-
raj tints, or even by pale yellow or
white flowers, the group blends insensi-
bly, into the surrounding landscape in
place of standing out in violent contrast
with the rest.-Land and Water.
Already the iron work of the Brook
yn bridge in reach is covered with the