Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-06-27
written for TIE Evening Star.


NEVER HAS OUR CITY LOOKED
Az greener or prettier than now At this time
Of year. The frequent rains have made all
shrubs and plants grow luxuriantly. and Who
ever has space for such things must enjoy see
Ing them thrive ss they have of late. Where
no room exists for anything like a lawn or
garden one may still keep Few plants on a
window sill il nothing better Offers aud with a
balcony TO fill it is remarkable what pretty
showing one may have with Just ported
plants If one does not care to 20 INTO boxes
or any. special preparation. Where there is n
shade part of the day. and by keeping plants
well watered, they will grow astonshingly fast.
and seil rcray the very little care thew require
All the foliage plants palms. ferns and half
dozen kinds, in fact, do wen on balcony
have seen one flied with varied collection,
which has already so early in the season given
any amount OF pleasure to the one who daily
sits by the wide window which "Opens onto the
baiconr. The almost rank growth Of the plants
shows that the situation is favorable. and when
II docs not rain they are showered twice daily
as ported plants dry so quickly.
rapidly GROWING PLANTS.
The most noticeable plan: is fern, which
wa> taken from the woods some weeks ago and
planted in an ornamental jar The glaze on
such jars is said not to suit most plants if set
directiy Ia them, instead of beng in an
inner red clay pot. Certainly nothing
could be more satisfactory or rapid than
the growth Of this fern. however. for in addi-
ton to the big graceful leaves already on il
when II left its forest home. several new
fronds have burst through the earth and shot
up an these few weeks, the tallest being thirty
inches high already and still spreading higher.
OTHER WILD FERNS AND VINES.
There are two or three other wild ferns in
with the green house plants, all different and
growing we'll The little green watering pot
and tiny shade, trowel and rake which come in
sets Tor window gardening make it fascinating
work. too, to cater 10 the needs of such little
Greenery. In each outer angle of the balcony
ran OF which 1speak an iron bracket with rim TO
hold a flower pot is put. and here are vines
dropping IN their natural gracefulness, while
all the other jars are set on the floor OF the
balcony. which is almost on a level of the
window sill. and arm outstretched from
the window can minister to all their wants and
| rearrange them at pleasure. There are novel
ties IN the way of placing and combining cut
flowers which once would have looked odd
enough ms choice, though necessity might
have suggested some of the effects.
STONE JARS FOR DECORATION
Indeed, the necessity which is the mother of
invention has been more than once the orig
by those whom no necessity binds and SO i,
probably comes about that at Lenox this veal
| II Is said that common stone Jars for household
use have been made into decorative objects for
| the piazzas of the beautiful summer home.
and are kept filled with fresh field flowers
or the larger garden flowers, like peonics
such masses OF any one flower as would be
necessary to fill one OF these crooks arc
lovely to nee anywhere and must be orna.
mental Certainly jar filed with such clover
| rs picked lately in the country near here
would be simply charming. 1t grew on the
edge OF some woods and seemed fully twice az
| large as any had ever seen before. and the
stems were as long as the blossoms were large
and the color was deeper, too, for the partial
| shade in which it grew.
PRETTY SUMNER COUNTERPART
Apretty summer Counterpart has been made
for one of the white and brass bedsteads so
much used. In winter a colored fancy cover is
put on it, but now something light in weight
| and washable was wanted. One of the new
French dining spreads was bought, which only
comes in one size. believe that for a three
quarter bed. These spreads are little different
from the Allendale and rather prettier. having
center OF quite fine dimity stripes, with q
border all around of stripes of graduated
widths. This spread was laid on the bed and a
small corner cut out to accommodate each leg
at the foot OF the bed and strip cut off a;
each side SO that the spread just came over the
edge on sides and foot, while half yard nearly
was cut eff at the top. Then a wide ruffie or
valance of dimity in the usual co-dlike stripe
VAS gathered and sewed on to sides and across
the foot This makes a simple cool looking,
light and pretty spread at little cost. the dim
lily spread being inexpensive like the Allen
| dsles SO popular for summer use. The etrips
that were cut from the sides had one selvedge
the other side was hemmed. and these we're cut
into suitable lengths and sewed to each side of
| the cutting at the foot and tied in bows to hold
1T together around the legs.
BOOK COVERS AND PILLOWS.
Book covers and pillows or cushions are both
things that are being made for gifts just now
more than anything else. Friends departing
on their summer outings appreciate a little
remembrance of this kind. and both can be
made without much expenditure of time or
labor two good things to economize. Apretty
book cover of simple design has been made of
dull olive green satin with four-leayed cloyers
put on in applique work. These were cut from
the top OF a WORKOUT suede glove of tan color
three of them being carelessly grouped on each
side of the cover. A paper pattern was first
pasted TO the satin. An outlining and veining
of gold thread made pretty finish to what
proved a very sho%y bit of work. and a pretty
and acceptable gift for departing friend.
CUSHIONS FOR TRAVELLING.
Cushions Of all sizes are used f6r travelling
presents. the best cover being one of wash mn
teriul with little work on 1t and always a loon
TO hang it to the arm for easy transportation.
Clover s-three-leaved-make a pretty
decoration also for linen work. a small table
cover having them as a border. The edge of
the spread. instead of being fringed or with
hemsttched hem, has been furnished with
featherstitch in white linen Aoss, and above
this is a border Of a single row of clover leaves
one turning little to the left and the next
little to the right with short stem to each
These are worked in long and short stitches in
the same white linen floss as the feathers.itched
edge. and is particularly effective, considering
the amount OF work bestowed upon it. Clover
leaves in twos. threes and singly scattered over
sofa pillow and worked in the same wav would
be very pretty, say on pillow killen Of linen
or linen duck. and then add an outline of gold
thread and edge the pillow with the white cot
ton cords and tasse!s, which are a new finish.
one being sewed on each side and the two ends
being tied at each corner.
Young Browns Abstract,
From The Youths Companion