Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1911-09-29


color enough to warm the place.
Second place in "B" is given to 204
Lewis street.
''In class GA" FIRST place is given
to 803 Augusta. A we'll trimmed
hedge, pretty, evenly bordered and
harmoniously blended asters. Small
lawn and back yard but exceptionally
clean. Second place in "a" is given
to 226 Kalorama, not SO much for the
modest front as for the very artistic
and sanitary rear. No. Z Academy,
in this class, deserves special men
tion, being the highest type of a
Grandmother Garden seen in Staun-
ton.
"In class 3D." I give first place to
41S Sunnyside and second place to
3O9.
"Class "E," 80 Sunnyside is the
best of its class, while 40 comes
second.
Beautiful veranda decorations
were seen at 904 Main, at PIP Fred
erick and ia Lewis but the prize
is given to All Main because of the
artistic arrangement, securing pri-
vacy without interfering with ven
ilation. Better individual specimens
were found in others but the COM
bination and ARRANGEMENT here de-
serves the prize.
Back Yards Highly Praised =.
81 cannot conclude this report with
out a few words of, general nature.
A stranger could not but be Impress
ed with the beauty of the front
greens; the discriminating taste in
the arrangement of flowers; the ex-
hilerating contrast in bloom and foil
age and the pleasing harmony of col
ors. But beautiful and satisfying as
were these things, it was the back
yards with their splendidly arranged
brick gravel or cement paths; their
we'll ordered beds of flowers and We
getables that offered astounding rev.
elation. Nowhere in the one hun
dred yards that l visited was there
any filth or uncleanliness, seldom a
lack of taste and never untidiness.
On many of the premises l was in
the presence of the ordinary domestic
activities where even the work of the
laundry was sweet, clean and very
inviting.
where so much has been so well
done, suggestion seems needless and
out of form. Yet am sure you will
understand and pardon me. In some
of the humble and more modest
homes, believe the encouragement
of greater planting of more perma-
nent shrubs Euonymus Abilas, St.
Johns Vert Privits, Budleas and
barberries would relieve the house
wife of both great labor and great
expense. While the floral display
now in vogue with you gives great
beauty for a short while, their an
nual nature, regular recurring ex-
pense, are not permanent improve
ments and leave ugly winter scars
upon the lawns unless ground cover
plants are used. Certainly 1 would
not discourage the floral development
among your citizens but would rather
ask them not to forget the beauties of
fruits and foliage to be secured by a
somewhat greater use of hardy
shrubs. A mass of Abilas with their
delicate glossy leaves, persisting
throughout the winter, their rich
pink arbutus-like bloom in luxuriant
prOfusion from May until October,
produces an effort rivaling although
different from that of the gorgeous
ness of an aster bed.
A Good Suggestion
II am persuaded too that at the
smaller lawns little too much
straining for variety exists. 1t is
easier to excel in one thing that to be
perfect in many. A seventy-oot front
would look as we'll Generally bet
teri when planted with only one var
iety of shrub as if it had a dozen diff
ferent families. A yard ordered
with the various forms of Hydran-
geas only is usually more successful
than one with lilacs, viburniums, bar
berries, syringis, etc., and moreover
1t precludes many mistakes in the
combination of foliage and colors in
the paintings. And while 1 saw no
errors of serious nature, my sug-
gestion would secure an escape from
what We commonly call patchwork.
Respectfully submitted,
"W. 4, Lambeth. ~