The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1903-05-07
Wv and SOCIETY
Flowers In the City.


Just at this season the outdoor gar
dens in Birmingham are reaching their
height of loveliness. and as you drive or
walk along the pretty avenues you will
see a new window box added almost
daily. Many of the wide verandas with
their rock and stone ratings admit Of
long boxes which are a mass Of blooms
or miniature fern gardens. About one
OF the handsomest houses ON famous
Highland avenue is a beautiful and Won
derfully effective arrangement Of ferns
and rare plants. The wide veranda of
white stone has a continuous row Of
flower boxes placed between the stone
pillars, these extending to the porte
coshere.
1t is indescribably picturesque and trop-
ical looking, a long vista Of delicate ferns
and blossoms, and beyond the terraces.
The most brilliant garden in Birming-
ham is just on the left of another hand
some house on Highland avenue, and just
a little back from the beautiful terraces.
One must really see it from the balcony
to appreciate its loneliness or be allowed
to wander in the rose garden on sunny
day when its charming owner plucks her
roses" only to send the gorgeous clus-
tiers to some friend.
It is a scarlet garden, simply hundreds
OF red roses No one can describe It,
They are something of the tint found
In the Crimson Rambles, only more vivid
more aesthetic. They are the roses
painted by artists. Their petals and CEN
tiers are just what celebrated rose paint
ers reach in their ideals.
The south is essentially the home of
roses, quite as much as California. and
just why the cities should not be con-
sldered worthy of identifying is made
the subject of a recent article in north
ern paper in commenting upon the
charming idea which the citizens OF
Portland, Ore, have adopted in preparn-
ton for the visitors expected during the
celebration of the Lewis and Clarke
anniversary.
"They have arranged to have California
and the south ship them carloads of rose
bushes, says the writer land every house,
holder is to be given as many as ne VIII
agree to plant and care for. 1t Is simply
delightful sight to contemplate. even IN
fancy-a city nodding with roses, set
about the stoops, trailing over dooBways
and ported In windows and on top of walls
and in the wards where each house has
its yard, twined along the fences and
clumped on the lawns till the whole place
is filled with color and fragrance, and
with the grace of the beautiful thought
"The Portland movement is an illustra-
ton of the success with which the City
Beautiful idea is making Its appeal. The
city-abiding place of many men, seat OF
corporate enterprise. scene of civic activi-
! ties, home of churches schools, theatres
newspapers and such like great public in
stitutons-the city is thing worthy to be
beautiful 1t is not enough that some Of
It's people take thought to ornament their
! houses; there must be a civic love of
| beauty that will demand elimination of all
unsightlness and insist everywhere upon
what is seemly and good to look upon.
AS this spirit is born 1t will find thous-
and particulars In which the city may be
| lifted out of the hideous disorder and i'll
taste which affronts and drags down the
shaped into kindly submission to the
rule Of order harmony and simplicity,
and touched with elevatlng and pleasure
giving beauty Men will be better for llv-
ing in such a city-athough, perhaps, If
1t is true that beautirm city viii make
good citizens, 1t may be true also that
only good citizens can make a beautiful
city, that.in the same true sense, material
loneliness can come only as the outward
and visible sign of an inward and spir-
itual grace.
why should not American cities
streets be graced with such trees as make
Paris look from a housetop like a for
est? Why should not staring house fronts
be glorified today with flowers In every
window. like one of those European cities
on the fete on which the city fathers
drive around to award prizes to the best
window boxes? Why need 1t be an accept
ed necessity here that because men have
crowded together in one spot all the love-
Illness of nature must be crowded outY"
Mr.. Coleman Meriwether of Birming-
ham, who was best man at the Parsons
Ambrose wedding which took place last
evening in Nashville, entertained the
members of the bridal party at dinner
of handsome arrangements given in one
of the private dining rooms of the Max