Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1922-05-11
MRS. HARDING
ENJOYS WORK
OUT OF DOORS
Slips Array to Garden at
EUery Break in Social
Duties.

WASHINGTON, May 11.-Just as often
these spring days as Mrs. Harding can
break away from her round of arduous
social duties at the White House She
slips out the south door into the south
gardens, armed with trowel, spade and
miniature rake, there to potter around
among the myriad plants that em6roi-
der the sweep of the lawns.
Spring in addition to being the time
for loving, is also the time fer planting.
Perennials and other hardy plants are
intrenched In the cultured White House
beds IN autumn time, but the tender,
short lived plants, like tho hyaciRths,
phloxes, jonquils. sweet williams. pinks
Of the old fashioned variety. scarlet sage.
pansies and heliotropes are planted in
early spring. The tulips already are nn,
and with their riotous coiors lend
wealth of color to the grounds and for
the present enjoy unchallenged leader
ship among the flowers of the White
House lawns.
Mrs Harding Is proud Of her old fash
Toned fondness for pottering around her
garden Just as in olden Marion days
she stepped out from the kitchen door
into the back yard and transplanted
this and pulled up that, or made
string ladder for the trailing arbutus.
only to hasten back TO the house to at
tend to the domesticities Of her home, 50
now does she step into her back yard
at the White House, IN the wake OF many
social duties, to wander along the Gin
der paths directing the work of the
corps of gardeners, and herself OCCASION
allv kneeling down beside some cluster
to correct a maynard flower or trans
plant an iris. so that its color viii Offset
sister plant and thus add to the sum
total of beRuty that the south gardens
fairly breathe.
Is NOT
AMATEUR.
Nor is Mrs. Harding an amateur. Mrs.
Harding knows just what she wants,
where she wants It and when. Accus-
toned for many years Of her life to Joint
mana gership Of country newspaper.
she is never at a loss as a eommauder-
be 1t in the direction Of a corps If gar
deners or in the supervision Of runiag
of the last form in the composing room.
When you call at the White House 70
pay your respects to the wife OF the
President you will find that il your line
Of conversation runs to inquiries regard
ing the social life Al the White House
that Mrs. Harding is not very talkatlye.
But if you tell Mrs. Harding that the
magnolia trees on the north lawn are
oh, something sHDerlatiye-then yon
will probably be late for your next en-
gagement. for Mrs. Harding viii insist
that You accompany her into the south
gardens and see for yourself the Jap
anese anemones and her pet roseheds
and the phloxes that border the lanes
that INTERVENE the cherry trees on the
south lawns. And If you like any par
ticular flower very much you may rest
assured that yon Will 60 away laden
with floral offerings from Mrs. Harding
PRESIDENT HAS
bad HABIT
President Harding Of late has acquired
what in the mind of Mrs Harding Is
bad habit" After 6 o'clock. before the
westering sun has spent itself cont
pletely, the President gathers his favorIte
sticks and, with battery Of golf balls.
marches into the south lawn area. there
to practice a new stroke or to execute
q fancy putt. that he probably saw some
one make at the Chevy Chase links the
day before. For a caddy he takes along
Laddie Boy, his Airedaie, and Lalaie
Boy Is proving himself an excellent
caddy.
That is all very we'll, but when the
honorable First MagiSt rate OF the nation
essays to build himself a tee with soil
stolen from the bases of tender plants
and cracks his stick and sends q hardy
little ball spinning among cluster Of
jonquils and Laddie Boy tears through
phalanx Of roses to regain the ball
that's a matter which Mrs. Harding to
put it lightly, Is not very fond OF. Be-
ing President has nothing to do with It.
He simply cannot ruin the flower beds
with his clumsy golf sticks, "and IL you
think"
Well, It's Just the same as though the
average American husband were TO litter
the drawing room with cigar ashes or
rest his feet on the gilded fender Of the
freplace-or any of those disapproved
stunts In pursuit Of comfort. The house
wife's edict not only rules in such in
stances in your house, but also rules
In the White House-which. OF course. is
also your house Mr.. and Mrs. Harding
want you to know that the White House
is your house-and if you don't believe
1t just trek along to Washington and let
Mrs. Harding prove it to you-with
flowers.