Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-04-29
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL.

it spans an idea, and ideas are streams
after all.
There will be found many items
which seem to have no ideas. in their
makeup, but which nevertheless are
pleasing. How does this come about
Can it be that chance plays a part in
gardens as elsewhere?
Every one has seen room, perhaps
living or dining room, where a fortui-
tous congregation of odds and ends OF
furniture has yet achieved pleasing
results.
A conceited person, Selling opportu-
nifty by the leg, might claim that such
a room was the result of the direct
application of knowledge, especially OF
furniture periods and colors.
The honest man or woman, who by
chance had achieved such a room
would admit gladly. and with a smile
that the whole thing arose from no
more remarkable thing than sheer
chance or fortune.
Grand vistas of mountain ranges,
great canyons, vast stretches of forest
these are chance happenings of Nature
but none the less interesting and pcau-
tlfuI because of that Indeed, in manv
instances, all the more interesting, and
certainly none the less beautiful.
X X X
Many little gardens, composed in a
hlggledy-piggledy manner, made I'D Of
ODDS and ends of plants. and shrubs.
with here and there tree. or a bench
stuck in, as a whole become interesting
places to work in and to look at.
The paSSerby, solemnly going about
his annual garden pilgrimage is as
pleased with this rough bit of fence
he
master fencemen who write their yir-
tues SO large in the glossy paper maya
zines.
theoretically, one would admit, plain
by As, with ordinary wire nailed to
them, would not make either an inter-
estlng or good looking fence for the
front and sides of a hign-class prop
erty.
Actually. as things often do. the
fence works out very well, becoming
both pleasing and interesting adjunct
to the house and garden. 1t is particu-
larly interesting and instructive to note,
as one gSes around, these differences
between actually and theory. In many
cases actually wins In few the
theoretical stands sure But when
honest effort is put into something or
other, and then not polished too closely
Nature takes a hand-that is how it
happens that such structures often
turn out to be pleasing.
X
These two lilac trees. standing one
on either side Of the doorway of this
old house, show plainly the advantages
of time in the garden process. There
is a melloWnesS here which fewer
years could not equal Equally large
hlacs could be brought in, no doubt
but the porch railing and the porch
Itself would not match.
These dooryard lilacs are lovely now,
in their Spring dress of delicate green
with their plumes of red-violet blossoms
waving in the breeze. The passerby al
NEST fancies he can smell them at this
distance Down the block stand some
lilacS almost as large, but this time not
in tree form. Suckers have been per-
mitted to come up around the central
stalk, with the result that the owners
have large bush. Dces it blossom we'll?
1t does! These bushes seem to do about
as we'll as the tree form. so the pcdes-
trian reviSes his old opinion. 1t never
pays TO be dogmatic
One of the great advantages of such
pilgrimage as this is that ii permits
che to see plants which he would never
experience" purposely. for if one falls
in love with a flower, he experiences it,
and there is no other word so good.
Admitting a flower, or bush, or tree,
he leaves with a mental picture of it.
and, If he had any business in going on
such tour in the first place, he will be
able to discover for himself the name
Of the plant. Then. in due time, he
will secure one for his own garden.