Well, Julie left a comment suggesting that perhaps the problem was the Gold Leaf and maybe I should try a green. What a genius! I originally thought about a blue-green, but when I laid the colors out on what I had already stitched, I realized Julie was right. A goldish green was a better choice. So I have narrowed it down to two Sampler Threads: Celery and Avacado.
I'm going to rip out the Gold Leaf "C" and experiment a little with both greens and see which I like better. It's so hard to tell how they're going to stitch up when you are looking at the full skein. Anyway, thanks so much, Julie, for taking the time to comment. You really helped me out. 
So now I'm back to my original changes, if that makes any sense at all. In case you can't read the labels, here are my colors. Oh, and by the way, instead of black as the main contrast color, I chose DMC 939, an almost black navy blue.GAST
Black Raspberry Jam
Briar Rose
Walnut
Hyacinth
Celery or Avacado
WDW
Dutch Iris
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