Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-06-27
WHITE HOUSE FLORAL PLANS.
Colonial Gardens to Supplant Product
of the Hothouses.

Washington, June 26.-Plans have
been drawn and approved for the con-
struction of two colonial gardens to the
south of the White House. Work. will
be started Immediately after the
President goes to oyster Bay for the
summer. The gardens will be COM
pleted late in the autumn, but all the
plants will not be added until next
year. The gardens will be similar to
those at Mount Vernon and probably
will be the only ones of that style in
the city.
Landscape gardeners have noticed
the tendency to return to colonial
flowers to harmonic with the colonial
style of architecture which has become
so popular. When our ancestors were
constructing their houses with stately
columns they were fond of ornament
ing their lawns with plants and flowers
of the woods, obtained at little cost
and expenditure of energy. With the
spread of wealth in the land, the more
costly tropical plants made their APP
pearance, and finally the demand was
limited to plants nurtured through the
winter in greenhouses and conserva-
tories.
1t is to return to those sturdy plants
which form the national flora that
Landscape Gardener George Brown has
planned the gardens of the White
House. Conspicuous among the new
White House fora will be the golden
rod, which has been urged as the ma
tional flower of the United States.
What has been termed "old-fashioned"
flowers will be given places of honor
in the new gardens because of their
beauty and hardy nature.
Mr.. Browns idea is to so arrange the
gardens that they will be in bloom as
many months as possible. He will Sc
lect such plants as will bloom In the
spring and late autumn, when Mrs.
Roosevelt and the children are at the
White House.
The gardens are to be located on
either side of the south veranda of the
mansion and within the iron fence
which separates the private grounds
from those farther south, where the
public is admitted. Each garden will
be surrounded by grass border,
reaching to the fence and bedecked
with standard shrubs. These will be
chosen and placed so az to harmoniZe
with the bay trees on the terraces.
Gravel walks will surround the gar
drns, being constructed alike on all
sides. A hedge of tree box will hem
in the gardens. A wide border of Sc
lectcd herbareous plants will surround
two rectangular plots Of grass. These
rectangular spaces will be divided by
narrow gray el walk, bOrdered by the
hedge of tree box.
In this manner beds will be made,
four OF them at either of the southern
corners of the White House and four
constituting Il garden. Each bed Will
be about Is by % feet in dimensions.
Extending to the streets on either side
and bordering the southern roadway
which approaches the fence on the
south, will be two sections tangent to
the drive which viii be devoted to
artistic flowers. A huge bed of roses
will form the center design.
The fence to the south of the man.
sion has received attention by the gar
dcner. Climbing roses next season will
cover the iron bars and form a beauti-
full hedge Already a rose bush Is
growing over the Presidents office,
and next season it is planned to have
the office covered with climbing roses
and clematis.
The northern grounds are to receive
attention. The new macadam road
way, which has suDplanted the wide
asphalt approach to the White House
| from the north, will be completed and
opened for driving, Friday. The grass
plots between the walk and the drive
will be completed by that ime, and set
with trees later. Landscape Gardener
| Brown will endeavor to obtain holly
trees for this lawn and other orna-
mental evergreen trees. The bay trees
of the terraces will be housed during
the winter in the new White House
greenhouses being constructed at the
prapagating gardens, but trees will be
| chosen for the northern grounds suffi-
I GENTLY hardy to bear the winter blasts
|