Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-04-14
BY NANCY MUNCE.

BY NANCY MUNCE.
~OME stroll through the historic
gardens of Virginia this Spring
You will find in these beauty
spots, reminiscent of Colonia
days, the spirit of old English
landscapes. Clothed in the verdant raj
ment of April. the grounds Of these an
Gent estates are glorified at this season
of the year. The invitation is extended
to you. You will do well to avail your
self Of the rare opportunity, for in all
America there are no gardens more
beautiful and none richer in historic
lore.
For II days. beginning Monday,
April 20, through Friday, May 10 (omit-
ting Sunday, May 81, to be known as
Historic Garden week, many OF the IA
nous old gardens in every section OF
Virginia will be for the first time opened
to the public, and general invitation
to visit them has been secured from
the owners through the Garden Club of
Virginia and the Kenmore Association,
which are planning pilgrimage to the
for the restoration of the grounds at
Kenmore, the home Of Col. Fielding
Lewis and his wife, Betty Washington.
\ y X X
IN Virginia, beginning with the Colo
= NAL period, the garden was an int
1ral part of every home, however hum
Bile, inextricably bound up with the life
Of the people, and exerting an influence
which has been indelihly written across
the pages Of history.
Virginia today possesses more Colo
NAL gardens than any other State, the
oldest having been planned and planted
before the corner stone OF America was
primarily laid in its soil. These gar
dens were laid out or rather carved out
Of the virgin forests.
The earliest settlers in Virginia were
English people, and they brought with
then treasured memories of the gardens
of Norfolk, England, from whence they
came. The Stuart cavalier who fol-
lowed built the Colonial mansions and
surrounded them with gardens, whose
designs were copies of the gardens in
the country on the other side OF the
Atlantic. From these Old World gar
dens seeds as well as plants were
brought across the sea to bloom on In
the New World. So mirroring their
heritage Of England in house and gar
den, and passing on to each succeeding
generation in Virginia the beauty and
love Of flowers and the dignity Of Eng
lish country life, these English gentle
men made these famous gardens which
added SO much to the stateliness Of early
Virginia social life. The kindly climate
and fertile soil added to the vision ex-
pressed In careful design, patient plant
Ing and attention, developed these gar
dens into places of great beauty, which
were the pride and the delight Of their
owners.
It is perfectly natural that these gar
dens should become q great outdoor
drawing room for the Mansion, and it
MOONLIGHT that Colonial life found its
most intimate expression. In the heat
of the day 1t afforded shade for the
playing children, It was here in the cool
Of the evening that the master and the
mistress found their greatest pleasure,
and it was also here In the light Of the
moon that young cavaliers spoke Of un-'
diving love. It was in the gardens OF
Virginia that the leaders consulted. that
the new Nation was born, and that the
great visions for the future generations
were seen; and finally as LIE ebbed. and
those who had made hSe0ry answering
the inevitable summons, 1t was amidst
those scenes which they loved that they
were laid to rest. Therefore, tt viii be
Immediately recognized that these Vir-
ginia gardens are not merely horticul-
tural exhibits, are not merely displays
Of botanical specimens, but are IN reality
as definite an expression OF the people
who developed them, as the manor
houses themselves.
The revival Of interest In virginiana
has Of necessity revived the interest in
Virginia gardens, as they were an In
tegral part Of Colonial Virginia life. II
Is indeed fortunate that so many OF
these gardens have come down to US.
passed on from generation to generation
with the recurrent locing care. attention
and pride In ownership that have SO
! often been noted In the possession OF
1 the Colonial homes. for the gardens