Evening star., 1936-08-02

a Joy yet 10 experience.
1t was an English poet who wrote:
Come out to Kew in lilac time, in
lilac time, in lilac time, come out to
Kew in lilac time, 1t isn't far from
London!" But I invite you to come
with me to St. Adams Gt isn't far
from Washington proper during
herb-growing season, and see there
lovely scented herb garden. where at
this very moment hundreds of herb
species send forth Summer signs of
aromatic sweetness. Stroll with me
over the tagged paths at the Cathe-
dral and see where, in one corner of
the Bishops Garden. nestles an herb
garden, The Settle Hortulas."
Then enter the cottage of the Herb
Garden and your day will be COM
plete.
THE Cottage Herb Garden was in
-augurated several years ago by
AL Hallows' Garden Guild Of the
Washington Episcopal Cathedral
Near the Norman gate Of the Bishops
Garden stands picturesque, weather.
stained wooden building. which is
used as a temporary baptiStry to
house the Jordan font. eventually to
be placed within the Cathedral itself
A tiny room was set apart as the
herb cottage" and within it are as
sembled herbs and other plants from
the Cathedral gardens and green
houses. Stepping from the small
porch of the cottage into the small
room is like lifting oneself into per-
fumed fairyland. Pendant from the
ceiling are tall swishes of dried herbs,
sort of dewy mist of gray, lavender,
yellow and blue. A series of shelves
support all sizes, shapes and condi-
tions of jars and fagons containing
herbs for this. that and the other;
for cooking and medicinal advantages,
for odor alone. Dwarflike growing
herbs are in attractive brick colored
flower pots. Books on herbs as ad-
juncts to cookery, recipes and gar
dening hints also are on display.
Blue backgrounds of cretonne, COM
Portable chairs, a desk and post cards
make the cottage real dew-drop- inn
for the visitors
More than 100000 pilgrims a year
visit the National Cathedral, and it is
safe to say that large portion of them
go delightedly through the cottage and
its herb garden. The growing plants
are souvenir fayorites with the tourists,
who have taken the living plants not
only to every part of the United States
but to all parts of the world. At the
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New
York: at Wakefield, Washington's
birthplace; in religious and secular
gardens, can be found herbs and plants
galore that have sprung from seedlings
ndsources from the Cottage Herb Gar
den, part Of the great uprising, spired
and inspired Cathedral on Mount st.
Alban.
livery penny made by the sale of
- herbs, other plants, books, pic
lures of the Cathedral and its gardens.
on post cards, as conducted by the All
Hallows' Garden Guild, is wholly for
the benefit of the guilds work, that of
perpetuating and beautifying the lovely
gardens of the close. The work is VOL
unteer, members of All Hallows spell
ing" one another in planting, trans
planting, watering gathering and dry
ing and selling the spicy growing
things.
A Washington poeteSs, Catherine
Cate Coblentz recently visited the Cot
tage Herb Garden, and her delicate i'm
preston of its loveliness was expressed
in verse in the New York Times as fol-
lows:
IT know a garden with loveliness
Deeper than eye can see or indrawn
breath
Can measure rightly. Ancient CEN
turies press
Against its walls till time is gone and
death
Is lost in fragrance of the lavender
That grows serenely by lichened
stile.
Basil, rosemary, marjoram are there,
And savory. whose blossoms lift q
smile
Beside a dripping pool. There silver
sage
And lads-love that all our mothers
knew
And pressed for us in many a yellowed
page.
Woodruff is there, mint, caraway
and rue.
Old flowers are lovely, lovelier still are
these
Sweet-scented herbs near box and
cedar trees"
"Near box and cedar trees" in the
Cathedral Cottage Herb Garden grows
rosemary-"that's for Remembrance
with its history dating back to Ovid,
but which the Christian faith prefers
to associate with Mary, mother of Jesus.
For there is tradition that the Virgin
one day, drying her ciel-blue coat, hung
1t over a rosemary bush to dry, and 10,
ever afterward the flowers were blue!
Near the "herb Of remembrance"
| thrives the elecampagne, which legend