Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-04-30

attained IN Doth form ana color. Every year
the sixteen hot houses in the propagating
gardens produce an output of over half a
million plants. which are used for the spring
and summers work. Especial care has been
given to the preparations for this seasons
planting, because of the Grand Army encamp-
ment next fall The 10000 veterans who will
then como to Washington will receive a
welcome decidedly novel and pleasant. A
large number OF patriotic and military designs
have been devised during the winter by Mr..
Brown and his son. who is his assistant. both
OF them being civil engineers and landscape
gardeners, and during the next six weeks these
designs VIII be worked out in the flower
beds IN different parts of the city. There
has been some restraint upon the work
because OF the insufficiency OF the last
years Appropriation.
LIMITED AMOUNT OF FUNDS.
Only the ordinary amount OF money was
allowed by Congress, and no display can be
made beyond the limit of funds at hand. Had
Congress given few thousand dollars extra il
was intended TO use the magnificent park
around The Washington monumen Mt for q large
number OF Hover beds. illustrating the various
army corps badges. The base of the monu-
mcnt was. few years ago, surrounded by a
large Knoll, a vast amount Of earth being carted
In TO grade ID IN a graceful contour about
forty feet above the level OF the grounds. On
this knoll there would have been a mag
nlficent opportunity for floral displays.
The corps badges could have been
worked out in designs twenty or thirty
feet in diameter snd the effect as viewed from
the top Of the monument would have been
something 10 remember for lifetime. This
plan would have required something over
million plants, a number that would have
taxed the capacity of the propagating gardens
to their fullest extent
JUDICIARY SQUARE CHOSEN.
Not having money enough to carry out this
scheme Uncle Sam will limit his efforts to a
lesser number Of beds, which will necessarily
be smaller in size. These will be placed in
judiciary Square. where stands the huge pen
sion building. In the level lawn south of the
pension building. which is 400 feet long from
east to west, Ar. Brown will plant during the
next month about forty flower beds. twenty
nine OF which will be representations of the
various army corps badges. One, the largest
OF them all, viii be Grand Army badge. with
Its nag and pendant star, crossed cannon and
muskets, all worked out carefully in flowers
that will duplicate precisely the colors. THIS
bed will be Sky feet long and fifteen wide.
The CORPS BADGE.
Some of the army badges will be rather diff
cult to work up into anything elaborate. For
instance. that Of the first corps is small circle
that of the third only q diamond. of the fourth
plain equiiateral triangle, that OF the sixth is
Greek cross. The trefoil of the second corps:
the Greek cross within the circle and the Mai
tese cross of the fifth, the crescent and star Of
the seventh, the cross. anchor and cannon upon
the shield of thenlnth corps, the four-bastioned
fort of the tenth corps, the acorn
badge of the fourteenth and the cartridge
box badge Of Gen. Logan's fifteenth
corps. with its grira motto Forty rounds"
he of h. WI airA n,
crossed sabers aad surrounding glory OF Shori-
dams cavalry corps badge are all designs winch
give scope for very effective work in land
scape gardening
MANAGING THE CoLoRs.
All these designs as originally authorized
during the war by official orders were in colors.
SO that the effec: when these badges are dupli-
Gated in flower beds ten feet in diameter will
be brilliant indeed. There is hardly a color
conceivable shade of any color that cannot
be represented in flowers. Even the dead
black of tine cartridge box of Gen. Logan's
army corps can be shown by using a peculiar
little coleus, which grows with a crinkly. curly
leaf, low and small and of a purplish
bronze shade, which in the sun becomes by
contrast with otter brighter colors in effect a
dead black. Even the lettering n the various
badges, and upoa some of them there is quite
a good deal, vii be very carefully worked
out. For this the pretty little echeveria will
be used. This fat succulent little liant is of
slow growth and hugs the ground closely.
When surrounded by carpet of other plants
which give it relief in color it makes very
distinct lettering. Some varieties of the eche-
veria are less than one-half an inch in diam
eter, SO that it is possible to make the letters
as small as two inches in height. When the
plants grow little they become snugger and
make perfect continuous line.
RAISED IN RELIEF.
Many of the beds will require very nice
modelling. That is, the ground will be raised
and compacted to show special designs above
the field OF the badge. In this way cannon
will be shown and the cartridge boxes. anchor
and eagle in various badges. The earth then
raised in relief above the background or field
and planted closely with plants that will by
their suitable color heighten the effect
The matter of form in this flower picturing
is much easier than that of color. There are
many limitations in this climate where plants
grow rapidly and bloom quickly upon the
landscape gardeners art The difficulty
occurs largely in the use of blues OF reds, vel
lows, greens, puppies and almost every con-
ceivable shade of these colors there is no end
Blue DILEMMA.
But in blue he meets with an almost insur-
mountable obstacle. There are practically but
two blue plants available for his work These are
the lobelia and ageratum. In the more north
ery climates these two flowers can be used 10
good effect for quite period Of time But
here they would quickly bloom and go ont of
blossom. utterly spelling the design in which
they might play an important part. In Chi
cago during the ePampment there the blues
were produced in many of the beds by paint
ing stones a bright blue. In Boston two
years ago the beautiful large flag there which
attracted SO much attention had immortelles
for its blue. The difficulty in using these is
that the dry dead blossoms have IN he ir,n,l.a