3. Color- Ozma of Oz

As a kid, my brother and I watched the 'Wizard of Oz' and then jumped right into Oz by reading all of the 14 book series. In Ozma, the Art Nouveau drawings from the turn of the century along with the descriptions of the palace and garden in the Emerald City brought ornamentation and color to the imagination. In fact, the red and white roses are featured in the plot. When I look at pictures of common gardens, the colors attract attention. The balance of colors may be what make a garden attractive rather than just striking. In driving around Ireland this spring, the "50 shades of green" were everywhere with lots of high contrast. I came bakc with a new appreciation of foliage. And rocks. But that is a subject for another post. (Photo of false cypress)