Evening star., 1934-02-05
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL,

back yard, any back yard, no matter
how small, Is landscape.
Some may find themselves in the
attitude of Moliere's great character
who was surprised and delighted to
learn that he had been speaking prose
all his life.
A back yard landscape!
Yes, and a real artist might put
any one Of them on canvas, too, just
as q famous playwright once put a
typical old-fashioned Washington
yard, high board fence and all, on the
stage.
fashioned, yes, still there are
many OF those yards, some of which
are distinctly well worth looking at in
the blooming season.
The point is that each one of them,
no matter how small, or how high the
fence, is worth looking at all the
time, II one is able to do it.
++++
Not every one is capable, Of course
Determination Is necessary, here as
elsewhere. Did any one think this q
quality necessary only in regard to
high purpose, in affairs which every
one would admit would require it?
No, determination may be called into
play in the everyday life, not neces-
hinder one by physical force, but sole
ly to keep ones self from failing
through the polite sneers of others.
Determination, In regard to looking
at back yard!
Surely a fool could do that, with or
without any preparation.
Yet the opposite is true.
Just looking at the yard, now and
then, during the Winter. perhaps ad-
miring 1t a great deal during a snow
storm, is something very different
from the determination which enables
the home owner to get all the pleasure
he can out Of the yard.
One would not advocate, necessar-
lily, any set plan for watching the
yard, to see how 1t comes on from day
to day. That is unnecessary, all that
is required is that one have a genuine
interest in 1t, then the watching will
take place Of itself.
This is much the better way. And
II one hasn't the interest? Then II
may be worked up but not now, by
no more laborious a process than
planting few seeds in the Spring
| time.
There is nothing like a little gar
| dening, no matter how little, to make
the old yard into place of interest
There is nothing that will take the
| place Of putting a little of ones per-
sonality and ones money into a yard
TO make 1t perpetually alive.
y
1t is an amazing thing, to those
who have not tried it, how little real
| gardening Is necessary to make yard
| interesting.
One does not have to be an expert
in any sense, nor botanist, nor any
thing Of the sort Planting a few
shrubs, putting in some seeds. setting
out few iris plants, will give the
eyes an objective, as good in Winter
as in Summer, as strange as that may
sound to some.
Then there are all the creatures Of
Nature, including dogs, cats. squirrels
| rabbits-if one lives far out enough
! and the scores of birds. which visit
back yards from time to time.
People living in the very heart OF
washington enjoy the birds. and are
visited by them at all times of the
year Our feathered friends have 9
/ special way Of finding out when any
/ one. anywhere. puts out breadcrumbs
in the cold. for often they need them
very badly especially when the snow
Is on the ground. and they have no.
| where to turn for food.
Make the bit of landscape you have
worth looking at by making It worth
something to you. and then even the
birds that visit 1t will seem brighter
and more interesting.