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Adventurous gardeners plan intense color combinations with a sense of abandon. particularly appealing are flower mixes of red, orange; orange, pink; and yellow, purple, and majenta.

Some combinations work. Some leave the viewer panting from visual exhaustion!

To avoid color chaos, be strategic. Use intense colors n moderation or go full-tilt with brights but play them against type by using a tecnique called color echoing. The idea is to repeat similar (but not identical) ntense colors in the same setting. The result can be subtle and sophisticated.

The strategy is to use bnrights to paint a palette where related colors play off one another to achieve a look that is lively but cohesive; hot yet calm with green foliage serving as the anchor. Rich red cannas, for example, mix beautifully with red, orange and purple zinnias backed by deep amethyst amaranth. Orchid-colored yellow-throated gladioli partner nicely with mauve yellow-throated daylilies. Three identical over-sized zinc containers are lovely when planted with a threesome of compatible but different yellow flowers: butter-colored dahlias, yellow calla lilies and similarly-hued yellow dahlias.

With color echoing, what might at first thought seem garish can e made pleasing. When hot colors echo one another, they soothe but don't overwhelm.

For more information about flowering bulbs and garden ideas, check the website of Netherlands Flower Bulb Information Center at www.bulb.com.

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