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COLOR is a controversial subject. To us, color like religion,
is a personal matter. Probably no two people see color alike,
and most of the theories of color harmony cannot be easily
applied in the garden. "Color is the one experience in life
that requires no conscious struggle of the intellect to appre
ciate," says the famous color authority, Faber Birren.
We believe that other elements provide a more lasting effect
in gardens than color. Color is transient and capricious; a
satisfying pattern, a good background, adequate termination,
a focal point of importance, and well-placed masses of foliage
develop a garden picture that is pleasing through twelve
months of the year. Still we are only reflecting the times, if
we are responsive to color, now important in almost every
human activity.
The most common theory of color harmony is based on the
mixture of pigments. This is not helpful to the gardener be
cause it does not take into consideration the visual aspects of
color. Another theory based on the spectrum and the length
of light waves is not applicable to the garden, where color
must be considered in relation to environment. The "psycho
logical theory" of Faber Birren is the only one related to gar
dening. It is based on the effect or sensation of color on the
eye. For a more detailed discussion of this see Birren's Color
Dimensions, Color Equation, and the comprehensive color
charts in The American Colorist. We present here, in black
and white, Mr. Birren's Rational Color Chart which has been
balanced in accordance with visual and psychological laws
of color. (Plate 14.)
Since the effect of color is largely psychological, and since
it is influenced, as it appears in the garden, by light, shadow,
climate, and humidity, it is nearly impossible to lay down
rules for its use. To discuss color, we must settle on a few
definitions. The nomenclature at best is confused. Musical
terms-key, pitch, and scale-though often used, do not ac
curately describe color and should be discarded in favor of
terms which belong to color alone. There are not many of
these.
The primaries are the four pure invariable colors-red,
yellow, green, and blue, to which Faber Birren adds black
and white as did Leonardo da Vinci who wrote, "The first of
all simple colors is white, though philosophers will not ac
knowledge either black or white to be colors; because the first
is the cause, or receiver of colors, the other totally deprived
of them.
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