Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-04-27

WY ASHINGTON, D. c., April 22.-Two
wv formal little gardens close to the
south portico of the White House are
known the gardens of the presidents
wife.
The first lady of the land is always con-
suited as to the gardening plans for the en-
tire White House grounds, but these two
gardens have been the especial care Of the
wives of presidents ever since Mrs. Roose-
welt had them laid out. 1t is becoming a
custom for each presidents wife to give
full expression to her taste in flowers and
landscape gardening in these plots
The gardens are the more personal. to the
mistress of the White House because the
public is not allowed to enter them. The
grounds back of the Executive Mansion are
thrown open to the public every Saturday
afternoon during the summer, when the
Marine Band gives concert. People wan
der freely about the presidents broad lawn
and park and sit on the grass under the
trees.
On Easter Monday, too, the grounds are
open, this time to the children for the an
nual egg rolling. Forty men are put to
work after this celebration is over, to clean
the grass of egg shells, papers, mangled toy
rabbits, remnants of lunch and other SOU
venirs of an exciting day.
From these occasions the public is pretty
we'll acquainted with the White House lawn.
But the gardens, close to the house and
bound by high hedges, are not open. They
would scarcely survive the inspection of a
few thousand people in an afternoon.
The gardens now are as Mrs. Wilson left
them. Mrs. Harding has found time to put
bird houses around the White House
grounds and to plant a number of trees
only a short time ago she planted a mag
nolia. But she has ordered no important
changes in the private gardens as yet.
First Signs of Life
Just now, the gardens are beginning to
show signs of life. White narcissuses, pam
sizes and pale-tinted flags are out, and a pro-
fusion of buds promises a wonderful array
of color in few weeks.
Originally Mrs. Roosevelt planned the two
plots as colonial gardens, and they were
laid out with curving lawns and variously
shaped flower beds filled with roses and
hardy perennials.
The first Mrs. Wilson is remembered as
one of the most ardent flower lovers who
ever lived in the White House. When she
consulted as to changes in the gardens
she expressed a desire to have the two plots
different in character. She had always
taken a great interest in the grounds of
her home, and she had skilled landscape
gardeners work on the plants for the gar
dens as she wished them to be-
Mrs Wilson did not live to see the re-
modelled gardens completed However, up
to short time before her death she liked
to sit among the flowers.
The gardens now are as Mrs. Wilson
planned them. Both are long, rather mar
row plots of ground, small only in compari-
son to the spaciousness of the White House
lawns. The east garden is laid out with
wide border of flowers around the edge in
side the tall hedge and large plot of grass
in the center also bordered with flowers.
A pool in the center of the grassy plot is
the feature of this picturesque retreat. In
the summer, goldfish swim in the pool and
pink and white water lilies bloom on the
surface of the water.
Formal Effects Secured
The walk between the center plot and the
margin of flowers is cut in straight lines
with rather formal effect. Old stone
benches and quaint chairs to match, that
have stood around the grounds for years,
are conveniently placed for quiet tete-a-tetes
A number of golf balls are sometimes
seen on these chairs and it is said that the
president occasionally practices golf shots
bit in the privacy of the garden Enclosure.
There are no shade trees in the east
Garden. The only trees are small ever
greens artistically~ placed. The landscape
architect who designed the plot for Mrs.
Wilson planned to have tall Virginia cedars
used, but the expense of obtaining them
was too great and smaller trees were sub