Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-05-13
ITALIAN GARDENS.
The Cedar, Cypress and the orangs
Tree Mingle Their Foliage.

From the Philadelphia Ledger.
Perhaps nothing about Italian gardens
strikes us as so wonderful as the arbor
walks or pergolas, where nature seems so
absolutely docile to the hand Of man. The
desire is to make a dense shade-a retreat
where one can shut out the hot sun, and
to create this trees of a great many differ
ent sorts have been planted close together,
and their branches so carefully interviewer
that they form a complete trellis on the
two sides and above, 50 that cedar, Cy-
press, orange and lemon trees mingle
their foliage, all seeming to be lighted up
by the pale golden globes OF the frult. WITH
US the merest twigs of such trees would be
supposed to have a stubborn Individuality
rendering II impossible to train them TO
take the place OF vines. In Italy for cen
turtles everything has been done to create
a grateful shade at noon, where one can
rest or sleep and leave the world OUTSIDE TO
the cicadas, that when thousands or them
take voice together at once, make rather a
soothing sound. Along the terraces of the
Villa Carlotta, on the Lake of Como, these
covered arbor walks lead into groves or
ilexes, and there until past midsummer, out
of the silence and GOODNESS, the nightin-
gales sing not only all night, but all day
long.
In spite of the lavish beauty of the land,
the impression that remains after summer
travel in Italy is of the inhabitants hvlnS
very close to nature, almost subordlnauns
her operations to their own needs Nature
is SO pruned, so tended, her least EFFORT SO
pressed into the service of man. The plumy
cypresses II is true, have nothing to do
hut stand sentinel by the belvidere terraces;
so with the ileXes But the poplars are
trimmed 10 fagpoIes for the sake OF fag-
COTS and every leaf of the mulberry trees,
across which the vines fling their festoons
and garlands, is destined TO feed the SILK
worms and as soon as the maggots are
ready to eat, the peasants with huge pass
mount the trees and strip each branch or
its foliage The olive orchards that make
a silver mist on the hillsides are busy per
fecting their useful harvest.
Wherever a ledge of rock offers an Ital-
ian peasant makes garden, carrying up
the soil sometimes into almost lnaccesslple
places But there he will plant leeks.
herbs salad and beans, besides a patch OF
wheat the latter not for the half loaf OF
bread 1t might make, but 10 turn4sH STA"
to plat hats in winter.
Nature is no niggard. The little red pop
nies blossom out of every Granny and chlnk
and make a blaze of color in the most un.
evnacted places Oleanders have a way OF
tossing their tufts of rosy blossom along
the white walls; Bengal roses, Glove plnRs,
carnations and larkspurs grow Wherever
they can be tended and little Till OF wa
ter directed to their use; but the summer OF
Italy is of great heat. and after the great
gush of flowers in spring the Wanted ltal.
ian gardens remain dry intersections OF
erayeled paths with clipped hedges. nights
of steps urns and statues. Nothing can
he dearer to artistic taste, but for the reai
low of gardening nothing can be equal 10
what the poet Gray called having a gar,
don of your own, where you plant ana
transplant and are dirty and amused.