The herald., 1896-05-09
FRIDAY MORNING CLUB
1r. Harvey Lectures on Orchids and Caller.
nia Flower Gardens


MIA Flower Gardens
j. c. Harvey, president of the Botanic
| cal society of Los Angeles, entertained
| the Friday Morning club yesterday with
a talk on a Tropical Garden in Southern
| California and A Few Notes on Orchids.
During a residence in the tropics Mr..
Harvey made a special study of orchids
and amassed a rare collection, which,
with a fine addition presented by John
u. Rockefeller, he recently donated to
the East Side park of Los Angeles.
Mr.. Harvey remarked in the course Of
delightful description Of orchids, that
1t was difficult, even in the course of q
long acquaintance with this elite family
of the floral kingdom, to learn much Of
the life of it's 5000 species. He was
obliged. therefore, to refer to English
and French written authorities for in
formation regarding propagation and
culture; propagation was effected by
the carrying of the pollen from tree to
tree; culture he described as most de-
lishtful study and an ideal pastime, par
ticularly for feminine lover of flowers
While for beauty and transparency of
coloring, delicacy and aroma of fra
GRANGE and extreme gracefulness Of
form. these airy structures were the
aristocrats among plants; yet, he said.
they could not claim a single country
for their own; they thrived wherever
they found a congenial amount Of
warmth and moisture, their only susten-
ance, whether in Asia, Africa or Amer
lea.
Mr.. Harvey described a scenepin The
tropics, rich in waving green foliage.
stately palms and graceful ferns and Inv
uriant in beautiful flowers. making the
air sweet and heavy with their fra
Grance,and over all the fluttering of gor-
sweetness In their flight, Some such
scene was In the speakers mind when he
touched on the second part Of his sub
Ject. The Tropical Garden Of Southern
California
Like many tenderfoot in this climate
MI. farVey regretted the lack of those
semi tropical effects to which the AIR
sunshine and all the elements seem so
conducive. The absence was greatly due
ne pelieved, to the householders' partic,
uiar gardens. which In most cases ran
INTO conglomeration of roses and kin
dred plants.
An ideal home was then described with
garden 200 feet square The house
should not take on the heaviness of a cas-
tie on the Rhine. but should be light and
ramDilng IN effect, with some of the
Spanish characteristics.
A lawn should grace the front not dis
sected like a checkerboard, but in a
generous sweep with the walk and drive
round the side. A verandah should be
ADDED to the southern exposure. Some
Der so charmingly over the "po'ches' of
the old homesteads way down south
We're recommended for this. He pic
tured enticing visions at the side of a pa
vilion running over with Cherokee roses
and small pond floating with the blue
lily of the Nile and other varieties and
colorings Of aquatic plants known as the
French hybrids To the back the tropi-
cal effects should be produced. Palms,
particularly the Seeporthia, that add so
much to the scenic aspect Of Santa Bar
bara are found so rarely here. Bam-
boos, yuccas. cacti, the Nile grasses and
| umbrella tree and particularly the
| beautiful magnolia tree were considered
| necessary adjunctS.
Mr.. Harvey. with number Of others
| is intensely interested in creating trop-
| ical landscapes in this section. A por-
| tion Of Elysian park has been donated
| to the Botanical society for experiments.
| Here on the first day of the week party
of business men minus coat and armed
with spade and trowel exemplify to
| the religious eye of the Sabbath that
among other things they are not "too
| proud to dig"