Evening star., 1932-03-30

| No feature Of q fayorite garden
shrub or flower Is too small to pass
unnoticed by its admirers.
A reader of a recent article here on
! lilacs writes in to say that ut may not
be universal, but in my garden the
beautiful foliage of the lilac is the first
to arrive in the Spring and the last
| to linger in the Autumn"
This is more or less true, depending
upon situation and care, and is one
more good point to be added TO the
| perfect score of the favorite shrub of
I the world.
The hardness Of the lilac is one of
! its finest features Because of this. it
does well in the far North, where not
all the shrubs will live the Winter
| through.
Because of this same hardness the
! lilac is likely to be the first shrub to
unfold its leaves and the last one to
| lose them.
This helps make it one OF our best
standbys for the home garden and for
shrubbery used close to the house itself
During recent years a movement has
grown up in some circles to Danish
shrubs from foundation paintings
This is a mistake, according to some of
the best landscape architects.
The use Of evergreenS and shrubs in
| mixed paintings Is favored not only be-
! cause 1t gives more variety, but also
| because no evergreen can quite take
the place of good shrub. Each has
its place, both evergreen and shrub;
the latter cannot replace the former.
MaSSed evergreenS. for their best ef-
feet, need the qualities which endear
the best shrubs to the garden-loving
mind and heart. Beauty of bloom, OF
course. is one of the outstanding merits
of such shrubs as the Spirea van Hout-
tel and the best lilacs.
Even the grandeSt specimens Of ever
green's which ever grew must bow their
heads before the lilac bushes when the
latter are in bloom. There is no ever
green, even of the broad-leaved sort
such as rhododendron. lovely when in
flower. which can compare with a good
lilac in flower perfection.
Early Spring has one joy greater
than all others to the garden inhabi-
tantS, and that Is the planting Of shrubs
brought from the hot precincts of the
department store sales.
One positively can see the bushes re-
joicing, as their feet sink into the cool
earth.
How they love the fresh air, after
the superheated atmosphere Of the
store, where they were forced to stand
in bins, a bit Of moist moss around
their roots, waiting for purchasers!
The wonder is that they live at all
but they do so great is their uncon-
scious urge toward life. Maybe it is
thn CNTOnfa hottie mind nf al
which can see them rejoice, when they
are planted: maybe they do indeed
rejoice In themselves and strictly for
themselves.
They must be glad, as such uncon-
scious living things are given to be
happy in meeting with their old mother
again, In standing with their roots down
in the wet. cold soil, in reaching up
their bare branches to the sun.
These living things, st. Francis
might have said, are brothers and sis
terS to all OF us. The mystery of life
Is in them. too. They live, but they
do not know they live. We live, and
We know We live.
The hard rain Of last Sunday night
set up in life" as the phrase has 1t,
many shrub put in the ground the
preceding week.
OAAi NDo Va al oOA oCCHu W
away from the stores that sell them.
Just where the thousands and thou
sands OF bushes go no individual can
tell, but they do go. some to live.
some to die. some to thrive and beau
tlfy lives and cities with their bios
SONS and leaves. others to lead an
unhappy plant life, bereft of care or
the intelligent help Of mankind.
AS one marvelS at the apparent in
exhaustible thirst for shrubs, trees,
plants, flower seeds, which the human
race shows at this time of the year.
1t is well to keep In mind that the