Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-07-18
This and That
By Charles E. Trace.oen.

After! all is said and done. green re.
mains the basic color of the garden.
Let us never forget this.
Plenty of grass and shrubs are a
necessity, If one is to have a really
pleasing back yard. The yard well
carpeted, with fences well lined, gives
to the SMALLEST place an air of dis
tinction.
1t is essential, of course, that the
grass be thick and of good color and
that the shrubbery be in good health,
If one is to secure the results desired.
With this matter taken care of through
the use Of good plants to begin with.
and plenty of fertilizer and care after
wards. any yard will be a thing of
beauty.
One thinks Of flowers. first OF all.
when one pictures a garden, but It Is
question whether they are not Sec
ondary to grass and foliage. In a gar.
den that Is to be a satisfaction to the
owner and other beholders.
Nature has taken care Of this ques-
ton in her usual thorough fashion.
causing green to carpet the meadows
In the form Of various grasses, green
to cover the hills in giant trees, green
to grow everywhere in the shape of
weeds. green to spring up in ponds in
lilies and algae.
How gracious to our sight is green!
Sensitive persons experience actual
physical relief, to say nothing of the
mental side of 1t, when they look at a
cool garden. The basic tint of green
is what does 1t.
1t is very easy to overlook this pri-
mary requirement. Flowers are so
interesting, In, themselves. and their
tintS so pleasing, that the amateur
gardener is likely to neglect the back
ground.
Yet, garden without its various
shades would be an absurdity. a nat
ural monstroSity. If such "a garden
could be grown. No matter how beau
tiful the flowers might be, the total
effect would be nil, for there would be
no softening effect of green.
There are, of course, green's and
green's. -.
Some shades Of it, even In a garden,
are ugly, and the careful gardener
will try to keep them out. Most OF
these are due to plants poorly grown.
Prof. Bailey of Cornell has stressed
the necessity for well grown plants. !,
each one treated as an individual.
The amateur, reading, sometimes
thinks the expert puts too much stress
upon this point, until he finally real
ICES, out Of his own actual experience,
that the professor did know what he
was talking about. after all.
To get good green's into the garden
is no less necessary than to get green
at all, and to secure such II is essen
tial that the grass color be good ard
that shrubs and foliage In general be
healthy.
Thus It becomes essential to sow
grass seed thickly, to fertilize the lawn
from time TO time, to water 1t thor
oughly. Shrubs Of all kinds must be
cared for In the same manner. Neg
lect viii not do.
In an average back yard a border
across the back of the fence my be
built up Of altheas trose of Sharof1. IN
front of which are placed hibiscus.
This planting will give q good green
and thick effect which il pleasing.
There Is q difference between luxu-
RANT growth and fast growing vines,
etc., which are allowed to run rampant.
Ordinary Wild honeysuckle. inllocently
planted along a fence, viii take the
place In q year or two, and make
such demands upon the soil, through
tts rank growth, that nothing elsa VIII
do well within feet Of It..
Getting good green into the gale
den, therefore, is first q thing OF care
full planning and then OF care and an.
probation. Perhaps the latter quality
ought to come first, for II one appre-
ciafes the beauties Of the garden he
Is likely to do the best he. can when
n comes to care.