South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1922-05-14
MRS HARDING Is
GARDEN ADVOCATE
First Lady of Land Plants
Flowers IN South Garden
Of the White House.

WASHINGTON. May 13-Just as
often these Spring days as Mrs.
Harding can break away from her
round OF araUOus social duties al .he
White House she slips out the soIfh
door into the south gardens. armed
with trOwel. spade and miniature
rake, there 70 potter around among
the myriad plants that emDroider
the sweep OF the lawns.
Spring, IN addition 20 being the
time for loving. Is also the time for
planting. PerrenlaIs and other hardy
plants are intrenChed .n the cul-
tured White House beds IN Autumn
time but the tender, short-lived
plants. Ike tho hyac.uths. phloxes.
1onquils. sweet williams. pinks Of the
old fashioned variety. scarlet sage.
pansies and heIotropes are plante0
IN early Spring The tulips already
are up and with their riOtOus cOlOrs
lend a wealth Of color % the grounds
and for the present enjoy unchal-
Ienged leadership among The flowers
OF the White House lawns
Mrs Harding Is proud OF her old
fashioned fondness for pottering
around her gardens. Just as IN old
en- Marion days she stepped out
from the kitchen door into the back
yard and transplanted this and pull
ed up that, or made a string-ladder
for the trailing arbutus. only to
hasten back 10 the house 10 attend
10 the domesticities Of her home, so
now does she step into her back
yard" az the White House, IN the
wake OF many social duties. 10 wand
or along the cinder paths. directing
the work Of the crops of gardeners.
and herself occasionally kneeHng
down beside some cluster 20 correct
a wayward flower or transplant an
iris, so that IT'S color viii offset "A
sister plant and thus add to the sum
total or beauty that the south gard
ems fairly breathe.
Is Not Amateur.
Nor IS Mrs Harding an amateur.
Mrs. Harding knows just what she
wants. where she wants it and when.
Accustomed for many years of her
life to join managership Of a coun-
try newspaper. she is never at a
loss as commander 70 I'm the di-
rection OF a corps Of gardeners or in
the supervision OF running off the
last form In the composing room.
When you call at the White House
20 pay your respects 20 the wife OF
the President you VIII find that If
your line Of conversation runs TO in
qturiss regarding the social life at
the White House that Mrs Harding
IS not very laxative. But II you tell
Mrs Harding that the magnolia
trees on the north lawn are-oh.
something superiative - then you
Will probably be late for your mex:
enga cement for Mrs Harding VIII
insist that you accompany her into
he south gardens and see for your
self the japanese anemOnes and her
pet rOsebeds and the phloxes that
border the lanes that fntertwine the
cherry trees on the south lawns.
And II you like any particular flower
very much you may rest assured
that you will go away laden with
floral offerings from Mrs Harding.
President Has bad Habit"
Prest Harding Of late has ac-
quired what IN the mind of Mrs.
Harding Ia a bad habit" After six
o'clock. before the westering sun has
spent itself completely. the Presi-
dent gathers his favorite sticks and
with "a battery Of golf balls. marches
into the south lawn area there TO
practice a new stroke or 20 execute
a fancy putt that he probably saw
someone make at the Chevy Chase
links the day before. For "a caddy
be takes along I.addie Boy. his Aira-
dale. and Iaddie BOY is proving him
self an excellent caddy
That IS all very wen but when the
honorable First Magistrate If the
nation essays TO build himself a tee
with soil stolen from The bases of
tender plants and cracks his stick
and sends a hardy little bah spin
ming among o cluster of i0nquils and
I.addie Boy tears through a phslanN
OF roses 70 regain the hall-that's a
matter which Mrs Harding 10 put Il
lightly. is not very fond or BEING
President has nothing 10 do with g.
He simply cannot ruin the flower
beds with his clumsy golf sticks,
and NJ YOU think"
Wen. it's just the same as though
the average American husband We're
20 litter the drawing room with
cigar ashes or rest his feet on the