Evening star., 1897-03-27


again for the happy folks who live in this
city the beautiful flowers of spring. The
inspiration of the wonderful spring flowers
that shyly peep out of the ground OF
Wasnington's public parks under the en-
couragement of the first few days of warm
sunshine Is something that is keenly en-
joyed by the people of Washington, accus-
toned, as they are, to the most superb an
nual resurrection Of nature 70 De seen IN
any large city in America. The aspect OF
Washington in the early spring dazzles and
overwhelms visitors from all sections OF
this country and of the world, who very
sensibly elect to see Washington In lts
most perfect season.
It would be difficult to overestimate the
effect which Washington, sumptuous IN
the leafiness and fowerage of spring lts
atmosphere heavy with the fragrance OF
blossoms has, for instance, upon the V1s-
itor from the northern city, the streets or
which, when he left 1t for the national cap
ital might still, perhaps, have not been
entirely free from the last traces or snow
The man from Chicago-the only American
city which may in the slightest sense be
compared with Washington as to the
beauty of it's park flower gardening-opens
his eyes when he strikes Washington IN
the latter days of March or early in APRIL
and he for once forbears making the claim
here that the sky is higher over Chicago
than elsewhere in the world; for his town
does not break into bloom for good solid
month, and often for fully six weeks, after
Washington has become an urban paradise.
Washington people, and visitors in Wash
ington, who note with delight the crocuses
and tulips and hyacinths popping out of
the park flower beds at this season of the
year. and who later revel in the ornate
beauty and the fragrance of the summer
flowers they happen upon in all of the
city's public parks, often express surprise
that these flowers make their appearance
with such unfailing regularity and in such
beautiful, uniform arrangement, and Won
der how the thing is done.
No Miracle at All.
There is nothing miraculous about it all.
The appearance of Washington's spring,
summer and autumn flowers is the result
of a careful system and an immense
amount of labor. The work is all done
under the supervision Of Public Gardener
George H. Brown, whose headquarters in
the seven-acre plot back of the bureau of
engraving and printing, known as the pro-
pagatlng gardens, is, perhaps, as busy
bit Of ground devoted to horticultural pur-
poses as there is in the world. The work
in these propagating gardens about two
acres of which are under glass, never
ceases from one years end to the other.
In the summer the employees of the gardens
are training the flowers for winter plant
ing, and they spend the winter in prepar-
ing to make the public parks of Washing
ton glorious withi1owers during the months
of spring and summer.
The crocuses, tulips, hyacinths and lilies
the fowery couriers of the pageantry of
blossoms that is to make its appearance
later-which are now writing the word
Spring all over the parks of Washington,
are by no means the products of unassist-
ed nature. The Washingtonian who is Just
row enjoying the sight of these flowers
probably did not notice, late last October
and early in November, the hocks of gar
deners who then quickly covered all of
the one hundred and odd parks in the city
where flowers are cultivated, making the
necessary preparations for the appearance
OF these early spring flowers just at this
season. When the autumn leaves were be-
ginning to be scattered by the first chill
blasts OF the dreary season, these govern
mental gardeners placed in the ground
for incubation and development during the
long winter season, exactly 60,oOU crocus
tulip, hyacinth and lily bulbs. They spaded
the flower beds into all sorts Of conforma-
tions and geometrical figures for the pur-
pose-diamonds, triangles, crosses, stars,
crescents and circles-and they did the
work In less than thirty days. Then the
SHOWS OF winter came along and covered
them up. The bulbs, smuggling in their warm
beds, thus spent the winter in termination
and expansion and In preparing to give
their annual spring surprise party by hop
pirg out of the earth just as soon as the
| sun gave them one warm, cordial invitation
| to make their initial mods in his effulgence.
Every one of these bulbs thus planted in
| the flower beds of the public parks was
| taken from the nurseries in the propagat-
| ing gardens, although the original bulbs
| used for this purpose were brought to this
| country from Holland, for. curiously
| enough. although almost any horticultural
product Of the world. even those of tropical
| zones, can be produced from seed under
| glass in the United States, the bulbous
| plants cannot be produced.
Rotation of Flowers.
| 1t might naturally be thought that, in
| stead Of going to the trouble of removing
| all these bulbs whence spring the earliest
| flowers the gardeners would permit them
| to remain in the ground, to serve their
purpose at the beginning of the following
| spring. This. however. would be impossi-
| BILE, on account of the fact that the ground
| wherein repose the bulbs is required when
the early spring flowers have lived their
| brief lives and disappeared for the plant.
| ing of the summer foliage and f1ower-bear.
ing plants that are to make the later sea-
| son lovely, just as these summer plants are
| in their turn removed from their park
| beds to make way for the blossom-bearers
| Of autumn.
From the first of May. by which time al
| of the early spring flowers will have dis
| appeared, until the latter part of June
Public Gardener Browns assistants will
| be occupied in setting out in the flower
beds of the parks these summer plants
The magnitude of the work they will &C
| complish during this period will be appre
ciated when 1t is stated that this year they
| will distribute throughout the park flower
gardens Of the city over 10000 plants Of
more than $50 varieties
| About 100000 of these summer plants will
| be of the flower bearing varieties, and tn,
remaining 100000 will be foliage plants o
many beautiful species and colors. To be
| gin with. there will be set out more thai
1OO. 900 alternanthera of many differen
| varieties-foiage plants. golden, scarlet
| purple, all the colors of the rainbow Their
will be nearly 10000 low-growing foliag
| plants set out for bedding designs MI
| Brown makes all of these designs himself
| and for several years he has followed
| graceful custom of preparing in advanc
designs appropriate to the great conven
tfons that SO often meet in Washington
during the summer season. His three mag
nificent beds in the citys three most not
able parks, representing the insignia an
important dates in the history of the Sc
ciety Of Christian Endeavor when the En
deavorers were here last year. and hi
floral representations of all of the variou
badges of the Grand Army of the Republic
on the occasion of the Grand Army's re
union here, will be remembered by man
Washingtonians.
About 5000 varieties of coleus will b
| set out this summer. The five principe
varieties of this family to be used will b
the purple prince" which was originate
-