Evening star., 1935-04-01

office, but thus far it contains only
some cactus and English ivy and sew
eral small magnolias.
Near the south side Of the White
House. just east of the rear portico
there is an fashioned garden In
which is grown possibly every flower
known to the American garden. While
somewhat obscured, this old garden
would make any amateur gardener
envious to look upon 1t. History Is
lacking regarding the starting Of this
attractive plot, but it is known to
date far back.
There was such a garden in the
same spot during Lincoln's time.
Naturally its general makeup Is
changed from time to time. This
garden is generally the pet and JOY
of every presidential wife. Mrs
Roosevelt Is devoted to it. Mrs Hoover
and Mrs. Coolidge are known to have
given it more time and attention than
any other part Of the grounds.
The Rose Garden.
There is q rose garden bordered
with a privet hedge in which there are
more than 500 rose bushes and con-
tanning more than 25 varieties Of the
rose. This garden, also favorite
spot. is just south of the west terrace
leading to the executive office, and
may be seen through the windows Of
the private office of the President.
Skirting the north side of this garden
is a row Of rose trees, there being
more than 80 of them, which, when
all in full bloom, adds greatly to the
general beauty Of the grounds. Along
this row runs the walkway used by
the Presidents in their walks to and
from the executive office.
Warren Harding seldom failed to
pause while walking along this row
to admire the roses and sometimes to
pick one for the lapel of his coat.
The roses grown in the White House
grounds are seldom picked. They are
not rsed for the White House bou-
quets or table decorations. The
flowers for those purposes come from
the White House green houses located
near the Bureau Of Engraving and
Printing.
The Famous Mint Bed.
Unquestionably nothing that has
grown in the White House grounds
received more publicity and aroused
more interest than the famous mint
bed planted by Theodore Roosevelt.
1t is understood that Senator Ben
Tillman Of South Carolina, long since
dead, suggested the idea and pre-
sented the big stick" President with
the mint plants, with which to start
his bed. Roosevelt personally picked
! the site Of the bed, adjacent to the
east side of the executive office, anc
not far removed from the famou,
tennis court where he met daily with
the members Of his so-called tenni:
cabinet.
This bed soon made the mint juler
the popular beverage of the tenni.
cabinet. With the coming of pro.
hibition the mint was used only fol
f1avoring In cooking. Now, with tht
repeal OF prohibition the bed ha.
disappeared. 1t had to give way t.
the expansion of the executive offic,
last Summer.
Some one with foresight and 8
genuine sentiment saw to it that suf.
f1cient plants of the bed were saved Il
be used as the nucleus of a new bee
sometime in the future. These sur.
viving plants of T. RS mint bed art
now in beds in the green house. NJ
doubt, they will sometime soon finc
another home in the White Hous,
grounds.
One of the treasures Of the White
House grounds is the ancient honey.
suckle vine, which for so many years
no one knows just how many, ha.
climbed along the railings Of the
stairways leading from the south porch
to the rear grounds. Persons expert
in such things credit this vine witt
being at least q hundred years old
There are also some clematis ant
jasmine, noted for their fragrance.
In addition there are about 2,00t
pansy plants, an equal number oi
tulips and about half as many mar.
cissuses and about 5000 crocus. hun
dreds Of iris and jonquils. OF course
there are numbers of shrubbery plants
including lilac, forsythia. crepe myrtle
mock orange, snowballs, spirea and
althea.
There are q head gardener and two
assistants and q force Of 10 laborers
employed to take care OF these grounos'