Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1936-05-21
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL.

to everyday horticulture seem puny in
deed. So much time, so much labor, so
much money put on nothing much! But
every one, even the largest gardener,
has the same feeling at times. 1t must
be remembered that ordinarily only the
best and largest blossoms are selected
for flower shows. The spectator does not
know what was left behind!
Immediately before, during and after
thunderstorm even the smallest garden,
even the one filled with failures, will
glow with all the beauty of some sur
passing painting.
Try it.
Make special point to look at an
ordinary yard at such time, with eyes
which are determined to see fairly and
clearly.
1t may require a special effort, for
many home gardeners are sure that sun
shine is the very best time to see what
Nature has produced.
While the sunny garden has its charm,
1t is undoubtedly true that the full glare
is pitiless. 1t reveals the gardens short
coming, where the hedge is ragged,
where the plants have not come up to
expectations, where the red clay is
showing through.
y \ n
Those special moments before the
storm are extremely f1attering
Woman gardeners, in particular, may
like to take turn around the borders
at such times, for the light is fattering
to them, too.
1t is a bright, but subdued. light, the
sort the theatrical manager likes.
1t intensifies the tones of colorS, but
particularly those of the grass blades.
Let no one think that a lawn is all
one color. Perhaps some special lawns
are so, lawns made with grasses which
need a great deal of pampering. The
great average lawn is a mixture of many
grasses and has in it varying patches
of color. Indeed, one of the real beauties
of the ordinary home lawn in this very
variation. 1t requires a keen eye how
ever, and an open mind to see it in it's
true values. The afternoon thunder
shower helps. The varying lights caused
by the clouds and the state of the at
mosphere at the time show up the vari-
atoms in grasses which compose most
lawns. Not only will the discriminating
observer see the difference between two
blades of grass, but he will note the
variations of certain portions of the lawn
from certain other portions. Then he
will see that the grass is not so much
a velvet carpet, as some say. as real
aggregation of plants, small, but de-
termined to COLOMBO their little world
Hence it comes about that certain
plot of the lawn will be dark green, the
next, in irregular fashion. a slightly diff
ferent shade. and so on through all the
subtle changes and shifts of blades and
lights, which result in the one catching
the light, and in the other sending back
the true colors to the observers eyes.
The storm itself gives an excellent
opportunity for observation of the &C
ton of plants during wind and rain.
This is a special observation, one which
the garden lover can never get enough
of. because there are few storms after
all in comparison with days of sunshine
The aftermath is beautiful in a diff
ferent way. Then the water is cover
ing every blade and petal and dripping
down the shiny tree trunks and branches
Spots of clay now are dark, grass
deep green, blossoms show their finest
colorationS after the storm. This is not
the same as the curious light before the
downpour. There is a difference No
doubt the physicists could explain, but
the gardener asks no explanation. He
| is content with the little he has.