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

are as much part Of the home as the
house itself.
A T Fredericksburg, Va, is Kenmore,
"A the home of Mary Washington
| Lewis, the only sister of George WASH
| ington, and therefore of more than
passing national interest. The restora-
ton of Kenmore has been undertaken
| by the Kenmore Association. It was
therefore but natural that the Garden
Club of Virginia, composed largely Of
people who inherited the appreciation
| of the beauty in a garden and its part
| in q Colonial home. should undertake
the restoration of the Kenmore garden
to its original setting of pre- Revolution
airy days.
The writer has been fortunate in hav-
| ing visited most of these Virginia gar
| dens from time to time and knows what
a wonderful opportunity this offers TO
see the treasures of Colonial Virginia
which have been preserved in the pri-
vate homes and gardens of the success
sorS to those who made such a large
place In our national life. Today al
most every one owns motor car, ana
these places of historical interest and
beauty are almost around the corner.
To outline such a trip and to tempt
your interest thumb the leaves OF my
note book and wonder what to offer
you first. The route suggested here Of
fers the greatest possibility to see in
limited time, and without any material
retracing of steps, most OF Virginia's
historical homes and gardens. Through
interest in our national shrines are
these courtesies extended, and II we love
our country, its heroes and heroines.
then we must know and preserve the
background from which they sprang.
Come with me now as try to intro
duce you to the present glortes. living,
treasured, loved, monuments in them
selves of Virginia's famous past. These
are not the obvious places that the
casual tourist can see at any time, OUT
are the private homes, houses and gar
dens OF the descendants and successors
to Colonial Virginia. Nor are they In
teresting only to antiquarians OF hof1i-
cultural experts, but to all OF us. i.
Leaving washington and going first
to Gunston Hall, which is 10 miles
from washington on the road 10
Richmond, we visit the home OF George
Mason of Revolutionary days, author
of the Virginia bill Of rights, and
which was built by him in 1855. The
garden lies on a perfectly level pla-
teau, reduced from the irregularity OF a
hill top. The south front of the man
sion faces the Potomac River, and
from little portico on this front one
looks toward the river, between two
rows Of English box, twice the height
of tall man, and 220 feet long.
Doubtless it was Col. Mason's intention
when he planted this box (slips Of
which were probably brought from Eng
land) TO keep it trimmed in the low
formal style then customary, with q
spacious walk between the rows. This
was evidently not done, as witness the
great height of the box now. A lead
ing authority in this country estimates
this box to be about 40 years older
than the box at Mount Vernon.
Possibly slips from Gunston Hall box
were sent to Mount Vernon to start the
lovely planting Of box there. for ex-
changes were frequently made, as we
learn from Washington's diary, In
which he acknowledges additions to his
George Mason, at Gunston Hall. He
also writes in his diary In 1785 that
Mason, after spending the night at
Mount Vernon, was sent by Washing
ton back to Gunston Hall In his coach,
"by return of which," adds Washing
ton, "he sent me slips of the Persian
jessamine and guelder rose"
v 4 \ X
IN the flower garden at Gunston are
: masses of heliotrope, phlox, del
phiniun, lemon verbena, rose geranium,
ageratuni, foxglove and many roses. In
the Fall the hardy chrysanthemums
produce q riot Of color. In the center
of the garden plays bird fountain,
made from the capital and base Of q
discarded column from the United
States Treasury Building In Washing
ton. on its base Is the date 1910. It
is made Of sandstone from the old
quarries at Aqua Greek.
From the east end Of the garden Q
iilac-b ordered path leads toward the
lawn, parallel to the spacious walk,
bordered by Towering cherry trees,
under whose shade In center beds the
Spring bulbs biAoln.
The vegetabN garden lying west Of