Evening star., 1915-06-06

American who has received one. The
entertainment is nearly certain to take
that peculiarly English form-a garden
party, and to De Goplous,h ; ~ sprinsien pcnasien
IS more often an elaborate evening
,ete, perhaps in the costume OF some
picturesque period.
The English garden party is the
summer mania of the rich and mod
rately comfortable alike. Some bright
American has remarked that summer
i'll England is Just one garden party
after another" The Englishwoman has
:, passion for gardens. Her interest in
flower shows is practical. not esthetlc,
and, in many houses, rose culture Is
! the one topic of general conversation
/ Ii is this real interest in horticulture
which supports them during round OF
| garden parties, where the entertain
| ment. s such, is of meager propor-
tions A tent for excellent refresh
| n1ents. Hun garian band OF some color
or other under the trees, and nowadays
! but very recently, improvised dancing,
| is all that is provided for the guests
besides the garden itself They must
amuse themselves. and they do by ex-
| pert observation of the training of
their hostess crimson ram nblers. by
fervent interest in her rockeries. or
how she manages her water plants.
i
After all, there is an idea for US in
! saved 100000 into gardens, and so
begin building for posterity: We have
not the soft. equiable climate of the
little islands. it is true: and they have
the immense handicap of antiquity in
| their favor. How did you make the
grass so green and SMOOTH" asked
the American of the Oxford gardener.
Rolling it for 400 years, sir" he
answered. Still, the difficulties in our
%
adeaute.
There is no more healthful occupa-
ton. and garden workers. at least
tented lot. Jean Paul says. the only
medicine that does women more good
than harm is dress. l think he should
have adj added and gardening" All the
ava1la BILE literature upon the subject
goes to show that gardening is a most
satisfactory hobby. and the gardener
benefactor to himself and to his
neighbors.
We cannot hope to rival the aEe-old
gardens of England yet while, any
more than we can emulate the garden
entertainments of the millionaire host
esses OF Long Island. Something. how
er of any little place in the country,
to make the immediate environment Of
his house as agreeable a place for his
guests as its interior. There are many
American cities. indeed. where the
houselots are of generous enough pro
portions to give most satisfactory gar
dens. if our almost mistaken OPEN
handedness In the custom of no fences
did not mitigate against our enjoy
ment of our own grounds This policy
is generous to the public, for 1t beauti-
hes the residence streets of the city
which pursues 1t, in a unique way. The
owner of the property. however, is the
loser, as an real use OF his garden is
thereby made impossible to him.
The garden awakening Of America
has been noticed by the dress design
ers this year as never before What
Is more, special gardening gowns, hats
and accessories are being invented
here In our own country. Poor France
Is not thinking of anything SO rural
this season. and SO the clever and at
tractive ideas seen in the shops are
Marie Antoinette would-be Arcadian
period for their models. A whole COL
lection of gowns and hats seen in a
New York shop is called Petit Tria-
non. Cretonne is their fabric, and this
is interesting.
I think the idea Of using cretonne for
wraps and gowns originated in an
American colony transplanted into
france. At least. 1t was first devel-
oped there Many seasons ago the
wives of the artists in the little Nor
man village of Giverny discovered the
picturesque color schemes and designs
OF this material. and their appropriate
ness for gowns ito be painted in" All
the painters wives were expert models
for their husbands. patiently sitting
and standing in doorways and win
dows. under trees in meadows, out In
the broiling sun. or in damp and dirty
boats on the little river. Gowns to
pose in must be colorful and Rraceful.
above all they had to be cheap, az the
colony in those days was composed Of |
hard workers on the way up the ladder
OF fame. though several Of them have |
since arrived at the top. So the ladies
set their wits to work and somebody
thought of cretonne. and very soon
they were all posing in coats and 9th
er garments made of 1t, shading their
heads with japanese parasols,
Now here il ia In AnaYira ~.A> .,~