The Washington herald., 1915-04-11
Washington's Flower Beds
Mean Months of Hard Work
HON. Capitals Greenhouses Supply Blooms that
Beautify the White House-Mrs. Wilson
Was Keenly Interested in the Gardens.

beds was personally supervised by Mrs
Wilson. whose excellent taste in blending
! colors was well demonstrated by the
| splendid results attained. 1t Is here thai
, our grandmothers. IL they could be per.
mitted to wander, would find the holly.
| hooks. the foxglove. the phloxes, the
wall-flowers, the sweet alyssum, peonies
English daisies. pansies. and almosI
every other Towering plant that bright
ened the scenes Of their girlhood.
The east garden was planted by George
Burnap. of the office of Public Buildings
and Grounds. This includes the walk
from the White House to the Presidents
office. and calls for a lavish use OF
hedge. roses, and small trees. Even the
archway Is of the accommodating privet
which climbs and meets about ones head
as willingly as it shoots straight into
the air to screen a lovers cottage. The
name of Mrs. Wilson Is perpetuated in
the White House greenhouses by a beau
tiful pink Gamma, known as the Mrs.
Woodrow wilson This was not pro-
duced originally in the White House
greenhouses. but it is now being special
ly cultivated there.
The amount of preparation. the i'm
mensity Of the work of preparing enough
suitable plants for the interior and ex-
terror of the White House, is amazing.
Following is an incomplete list of the
approximate number of Towering plants
which are forced all through the win
ter for the uses of the White House. its
occupants, and gardens:
Roses, 5000: carnations, 1000 chrysan-
themums, $500; poinsettias. 400; stevias.
700; violets, 900: snapdragons, 1000;
heliotrope, 500; lilies of the valley (bulbs),
10000; narcissus, 1000: Roman hyacinths
10000; ferns. 5000: palms. loo; Easter
lilies. 100 spirea, 100; orchids. 500.
No Exceptional Specimens.
The White House greenhouses unlike
the National Botanic Garden. do not
aim at great variety of plants. for the
obvious reason that all are raised for
practical use. and thus one would search
in vain for exceptional specimens in Mr.
Henlocks collection. Nevertheless. the
orchids grown for the White House are
OF exquisite beauty, speciality being
made of the cattleya, or Mexican orchid.
whose petals shade from faint blush
pink to a flaming red. The guest at the
White House reception. if he had time
and eyes for such things. might see
among the flowers the Persteria Elata,
or Holy Ghost flower. with its wonder
full little grotto in pure white with its
miniature altar at the opening of the
e
of a dove nesting In the center. The
White House gardens provide also the
portable trees which adorn the terraces
and often are seen about the entrances
in the warm season. Last fall the Jap
anese cedars which lined the walks from
Pennsylvania avenue to the northern en-
trance were removed. and japanese UNI
brella trees planted in the ground in
their place. The bay trees which are set
about in huge boxes in the summer have
almost finished Their course as this trop-
ical plant hardy though it appears, does
not live more than twelve years in this
climate.
Washington is both favored and handi-
capped in the matter of climate for out
door plants as compared with Northern
cities, like Boston. Detroit, and Chicago
Thus the negonia. the geranium, and
the sweet pea flourish in the Northern
latitudes. and the official gardeners here
make little attempt to use them in the
parks This is not as strictly true of the
geranium. which lives here comfortab bly,
enough. but attains to no such fuxuria nee
as. say, Portland. Me. or Boston, where
the nights are cool and damp