Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-04-16
CLAIMS DWELLINGS
FEEL ENVIRON NJ EN7
Expert Holds Pearls Among Rub
Dish Are Bound to Be
Tainted.
BY ELLEN d. MANGNER.
Contributing Editor Garden and
IIni1nt Y4ni1derA

| Contributing Editor Garden and
Home Builder)
No matter the love, labor or money
that have gone into a home, it cannot
rise above its setting. 1t cannot very
well disayow association with neigh
| boring homes. 1t cannot be but a part
OF its neighborhood. its community.
Pearls sometimes are found among
rubbish" but the trim house with
pretty yard that is hedged about by
dirty yards and shabby houses cannot
escape their faint.
Every small home owner is definite
| ~ interested in the surroundings of
his property. After he has won a
beautiful home for his family his
thoughts logically and naturally turn
to the Identification Of his community.
| The city beautiful idea has very prac-
teal aspects. With the increasing
numbers of small homes on the skirts
of our cities, with improvement in do
mestic architecture, the advancement
of landscape architecture and with
better city planning. our cities and
towns are becoming more beautiful
each year.
1t was to arouse interest in this
matter and to supply ideas and leader
ship that prompted the establishment
OF National Garden week. National
Garden week, which has the indorse-
ment of President Coolidge and Secre-
tary Hoover, will be observed April
1924, and will focus attention on the
planting of gardens as an ennobllng
avocation, a contribution to the joy
of the individual and the community
and as an attribute of good citizen
ship. THE United States of America
Garden Nation of the World in
1890" is the ambitious slogan of the
garden committee of the General
Federation of Women's Clubs,
No matter which State you live in,
It is rich in its own varieties of shrubs,
trees. vines and flowers. The plant
ing and cultivation of these should be
encouraged until your own property,
" n community and your State are
as famous for their beauty as is Port
land. Greg. for its 200 miles of rose
lined streets. or Richmond, Va. for
its irises.
If each home owner and the author
tiles Of each community would plant
in private yards along streets and in
parks specimens of a few of the most
beautiful native trees, flowers and
shrubs, the first important step would
have been taken toward a state
beautiful
The $4,000 member clubs of the
General Fedora ton, the Garden Clubs.
BOY Scouts, Campfire Girls, American
Legion. National Congress OF Mother
and Parent.Teacher Associations are
all cooperating, as, are the churches
and individual property owners. Com.
petitiye activities are being encour-
aged in flower and vegetable garden
ing, window boxes, lawns and home
landscape architecture.
Many activities are being under
taken by various clubs and commun.
tiles. Among these are flower shows,
the free distribution of seeds and cut
tings to school children, the establish
mert of flower booths where flowers
and vegetables are left for distribu-
ton to the needy and the sick, the
creation of school and prison gardens,
displays of books on the subject and
the exhibition by business houses of
garden sculptures, bird baths, sun
dials, garden tools, watering systems
and seeds and bulbs.
Radio stations and motion picture
houses are featuring National Garden
week. Welfare societies, chambers OF
commerce, boards of trade and health
are cooperating. Birdhouse exhibits
and model gardens are shown. OFTEN
Arbor day .observances are combined
with Garden week. Banks, business
houses and factories are feeling the
urge to beautify their properties.
| When a city determines its worst
| feature and plans to abolish the eye
sore, when it determines its best fea'
| ture and plans to preserve it, and
when il determines its greatest civic
need-parlxs. Fairgrounds, better
/ streets, trees for streets, gardens for
/ homes-and sets about to supply the
need, then do land values increase
and every resident feels more Of the
/ joy that beauty brings.