Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-05-11
PREPARE GARDENS
FOR PILGRIMAGE
Georgetown Beauty Spots
Are Being Groomed for
Public Viewing.
BY GRETCHEN S. SMITH.

WIN Dut three Gays remaining De-
fore the ofhcial opening of the George
town gardens to the public, great bus
tie of preparedness is apparent in these
quiet. blossom-fllled retreats which will
prove to lovers of the outdoors the pos
sibility of enjoying the beauties of ma
tllre within the small confines of city
wall. Lawn mowers have been clipping
grassy spaces into velvet-like smooth
ness, trees have been prlined and flower
beds freshened, and from the Lilliputian
garden behind the doll house" of
George Dubois on Thirtieth street to the
spacious grounds of Mrs. C. G. Warden
on S street all has been placed in
readiness for the reception of the gar
den pilgrims on Wednesday
After crossing the Dumbarton Bridge
into Georgetown, the first garden which
Is reached is that of Belleview. the home
of Congressman and Mrs. Charles A.
Eaton. The Eatons will be out of town
on Georgetown garden day, but have
Hospitality placed their garden at the
service of the committee in charge of
the pilgrimage Almost next door to
Belleview is the home of Mrs. Frank S.
Bright, who has developed one of those
delightful smaller gardens" at the rear
of her houses. A birds bath erected in
the center of the yard has been artisti
cally surrounded with iris and tulips
One of the most attractive features of
Mrs. Bright's garden is the natural
screen of trees and shrubs which sepa-
rates her place from her neighbors.
Playground for Children.
Behind the white frame house of Mrs.
r. F. Whitehead on Twenty-eighth
street is shady retreat, made attrac-
tive with iris, tulips and numerous gar
den flowers, reached by an irts-bordered
brick walk leading from the front of
the house. Mrs. Whitehead's garden
makes delightful playground for the
small 3-year-old children attending her
school.
An original feature of Mrs. John Ihl-
der's small garden. behind her residence
on p street, is a brick arched niche,
used as an outdoor fireplace during the
cool, Grips days of Fail Although COM
paratively small. the Ihlder garden pos
SeSseS numerous attractive features, in
GLIDING rock-inclosed goldfish pool
and rose garden on the side of the
house, the well designed beds of which
are inclosed by baby lockwood.
No garden in Georgetown will show
more effectively what labor and love
can do than that of Miss Lucy Bentley,
who, rising some days as early as 5
o'clock, has with her own hands plant
ed every flower on her place, spaded the
soil Of her flower beds and moved and
watered the grass of her lawn. Miss
Bentley's garden is a riot of color at
present and makes lovely sight viewed
from the small back veranda, high
above One does not feel bit sorry
for the wall flowers growing In the
crevices of Miss Bentleys stone wall, as
they seem to enjoy the pleasure which
their beauty gives to those who stand
in the garden below.
Two Fine Holly Trees.
After leaving Miss Bentley's garden,
II you walk a short distance over to
Thirtieth street, you will see in the
garden of Miss Bertha LOCKER two of
the finest holly trees in Georgetown.
Both trees are gigantic in size, and one
presents the unusual sight of mass of
red berries, which, under May sun,
amid a profusion of Spring flowers,
makes one wonder If the old tree has
mixed its seasons. The second of the
from his place on the Potomac many
years ago by Or. Tyler, a famous physi-
clan of old Georgetown, the original
owner of Miss Lockers home. This
tree has thrived on two transplantings.
Six generations of the same family
have enjoyed the beauties of Mrs. Edith
A. Macartney's garden at the side Of
the rear of her historical old home on
Dumbarton avenue, which over hum
dred years ago, was built by her great
grandfather, Henry Foxhall, prominent
in the annals of Georgetown early resi-
dents. Over so different varieties of
flowers and shrubs will be seen in Mrs.
Macartney's garden, although many will
not be in blossom for the opening on
Wednesday. 1t is to be particularly re-
GREETED that the fine hollyhocks which
grow in profusion at the rear of the
garden will not come to flower until
next month, as we are told that their
beauty of color is unsurpassed by any
flower in the yard. A moss rose, planted
by one of Mrs. Macartney's ancestors
over a century ago, still thrives and
bears blossoms in as great profusion as
it did in the days of its youth.
Proceeds for Child Welfare.
Somehow it seems most appropriate
that the beauty of the flowers and the
peace of the Georgetown gardens
should be thrown open to the public for
the sake of little children. For that is
the purpose of this years Georgetown
Garden day. The proceeds obtained
from the sale of tickets purchased for
q visit to the gardens Is to be used by
the Georgetown Child Welfare Council,
of which Mrs. r. F. Whitehead is chair
man, for work among the needy smaller
children of Georgetown. While there
are schools and societies which care for
and guard the welfare of children of
school age, the little brothers and sisters
too young to attend kindergarten or
even to go to the Fairgrounds few
blocks away are frequently sorely neg
lected. Mothers with large families,
trying to solve the hopeless problem of
making 10 cents cover 81 of expenses,
have little time to look after the recre-
alton of 3-year-old Susie or Jimmie.
In a small, dark apartment, or out in
the dangerous streets Susie and Jimmie
must seek their play and amuse them
selves as best they can, while older
brothers and sisters are in school and
mother is doing the family washing or
caring for the little baby. 1t is the aim
and purpose of the Child Welfare Courl-
Gil to provide a salaried welfsre worker
for the little and 4 year olds OF
Georgetown'S poor and needy, snouio
the funds derived from the garden pill
grimage prove sufficient to pay the sail
airy OF the worker.
Should rain fall upon the day set
aside for the opening of the Georgetown
gardens, the pilgrimage VIII be; post
poned until the day following. Those
desiring to enjoy the beauty of these,
old gardens, as we'll as assist in the
work Of worthy cause, will be able 10
purchase tickets at the MeynoWer T1otel,
at which time they will be provided
with a list giving the names and adj
dresses of the gardens to be exhibited.
In addition to the 20 gardens which
will be exhibited, number of paintings
of gardens, homestead portraiture,
screens and over mantel murals. the
work of Mabel Hunt jackson, Will be
shown at the home of Mrs. B. M. Meyer,
1927 street. The tickets for entrance
to the gardens will include the exhipition
of paintings as well.