Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1875-09-30
EVENING STAR.
Flower. and rIans. I'm Wa.n,..,s>


Flowers and Plants I'm washtuxts>
TO dte EdStoT u Apple,oa's Joacpal.
SIR some weeks since your journal con-
tanned an earnest plea for floral decoration IN
cities. -
A tolerably large acquaintance with
American cities has shown me none in
which there is so much window and
.iront-yaru" gardening rs in Washington.
some cities where, at certain seasons OF the
year, one walks the street enveloped in an
aroma of fragrant native fowers, shrubs,
IL is not that In Washington. however, the
flowers, vines, shrubs, aud trees cultivated
are not merely such as are indigenous 10 the
globe. Hardly does a plant II use the wori
geneilcally for vegetable GROWTH make its
appearance in the florists catalogues before
you begin TO see IL In the windows or door
yards of the city, according 20 its hardness
and the requirements OF its nature
Undoubtedly this is very largely due 10 the
cultural" and "Propagating" GarIens
wherein novelties are constantly being
tested. and whence Congressman and execu-
tive officers OF the govern ment, under certain
restrictions and regulations, obtain slips
friends.
Something, too is due TO our peculiar cli-
mate that gives us such memorable springs
and falls. Mr.. Smith, OF the Congressional
garden, points out three trees near the en-
trance of one OF the buildings, the respective
Maryland - ''''1
But when all allowance for climate and
accessible gardens has been made there re-
mans the moral or aesthetic reason OF this
univeTSality OF fiower-culture / will moi
say that that reason is larger in washington
Lnan elsewhere. only leave you TO your
The fact is, there is not a two-roorn ssshan-
" upon the outskirts OF the city, dwelt in
by blacks, who (as gender detcrmtne>N wash
or ,rhfewash, that hasn't got al least its
hanging basket bright with geraniums and
lobelia, and graceful with pendulouS money
wort and tTadeScantia. And from that up
and onto whole house fronts alive with
flowers, yards beautified with beds, and
chimneyS covered with wiStaria and Nir-
ginia creeper. The ivies, too, that farther
north fare badly, are here luNuriant beyond
description. The chapel at Oak I'M Gene
terry, and the lodge at the Glenwood entry TO
the Soldiers Home, no one can forget who
amount of ugly brick and-mortar here that
tnd its rdtSon de're in the screen of Ivy it
Sfngularly happy is Washington, too, in
front yaruS.
The founders Of the city "made broad its
ways The narrowest streets were eighty
| feet from building-line TO building line, and
the avenues, which traverse at various an
| giles the rectangles made by the streets vary
IN Width from eighty-hve TO one hundred and
Until a few years ago these distances were
enormous, useless and a waste. 1t impover-
ished abutters to pave them; and when paved
| 1t surpassed civic ability 10 keep them in re-
| pair. So in winter they were mud, in sum-
| mer they were dust.
| Six or seven years ago Congress authorized
| the parking OF the center of the streets. cor
| most OF them.) One or two such parks"
| were made-that is TO say, stones were put
| down on each side of the street, and for a
| breadth OF twenty feet in the middle turf. IL
| was soon question which was the barer and
more disagreeable, the pavement or the park
| ing.
In the process OF time there came 10 us
| what believe you have heard OF in New
| Iork-a Board OF Public Works" One of
| mat board had an idea-he knew what TO do
| with these dreary widths OF street and ave
nue-and he and his fellow members did it.
First, they put the carriageway In the mid
| die OF the street, and narrowed il to, say,
| from thirty to fifty feet in width; then they
| put twelve TO twenty feet of sidewalk on
| each side; and then the rest of the street was
| put into parking in front OF and adjoining
| each house. A strip of from ten TO forty feet
| in width was thus added TO each house-lot
| IL was turfed by "the board !" and sometimes
| fenced. That done, their supervision ceased.
| The HORSEPOWER had as absolute jurisiic-
tiOn over il as if he had bought il, except
| that he could not build upon IL. He might
| put flowers, fountains, trees, in il. And,
may add, be did. These front lots, these grass
| plots, are cared FOR even by the humblest
| householder, whereas with the center park
| ing there was no one to water and shear and
| roll and manure il; but each house-width OF
| The side parking has Its custodian and Gu
| rator.
Taste has been cultivated, the appearance
| OF The street has been benefited, and the pub
lie health promoted. All the advantag yes of
| free circulation OF air that come from broad
| streets are conserved, as well as the great
| protection afforded by them against the
| spread of fire; while the cost OF expanded
| carriageways, breeding dust and IniTe, is
| done away; and the many hygienic Influences
| that come from grass and plants are secured.
And all this, mind you, Is noI done for the
| benefit OF orr Fifth-Avenue people whoever
| they may be- alone, but for the common
people Imagine London :. navy or a
| New York 'longshoreman," or a PhiIa-
| delphia coal-heaver," living in a house
with from tel 10 forty feet OF front yard,
green with grass, splendid with foliage and
| plants, and perfumed with madeira vine.
| 1t can't be done, unless you have an
| imagination as tremendous as the asserted
| strength of the Kelley motor.
But our Washington I" unskilled labor"
lives with just such surroundings.
Wherefore, rejoice over this our capital
see il. II. II. NJ
Washington, September 10, 1875.