The Washington times., 1937-04-20
NOW
We Can Enjoy
Our Spring
MINUS CROWD
BY HELEN ESSARY

BY HELEN ESSARY
Now that three million 453
thousand and 789 people, SO Scot
ties, 76 terriers, IS hound dogs
and three surviving Easter bum
MES have looked through car win.
dows at the cherry blossoms and
gone back home, those Of us who
live here and sort of like the crazy
old town, will come out of hiding
and enjoy springtime along the
Potomac.
Cherry blossoms are mighty
fine. They're smart Japanese
American diplomacy. I'm for
them. But there is many a native
shrub and fruit tree poisoning
unadvertised, unsung, in the BY
ways and gardens Of Washington.
CAS- a matter of fact I've three
plum trees of my own that I'll
put in company with any imported
1oveliness.)
The fruit trees of old George
town, Chevy Chase and Cleveland
Park are beautiful, but not dumb.
They are more practical than the
lilies Of the field or the cherry
blossoms beside the river. They
produce.
Theirs is not a spendthrift
beauty. Certainly not my plum
trees. Before many months go
by I'll have to be boiling down
big kettles Of plum jelly-to prove
to the family that, though a col
lmnist, one can also be prudent
housewife)
The branches Of those gnarled
old apple trees at the Chevy Chase
Club are graceful in winter. In
the spring they are exquisite with
rose-tinted blossoms. And in the
early summer their funny little
green apples give the collie to the
dear little children of some Of the
Best Families in Washington.
Indeed many Of our most dis
tinguished natives boast Of the
tummy aches they had years ago
after hasty cravings on the
hard Chevy Chase Club apples
when mother or nurse wasn't
looking. AS crudely figure
years, the ages Of apple trees, and
spring times, I should say that
ct least six generations Of the
towns ariStocracy has thus
curled up in knots.
with less appeal and no bad
consequences to the young are
the elegant magnolia trees at
the entrance to the Louise Home
on Massachusetts Ave. N. w.
Corcoran, the philanthropist,
gave the Louise Home to eel
derby gentlewomen." Il should
think some women who weren't
so gentle would also need a place
to lay their heads in their ne
elected old age. But that's be-
side today'S Springtime theme.)
From their position. and their
great size, the Louise Home mag
nolias look as If they had been
planted when the home was
built, just after the Civil War.
One magnolia is an embarrassed
pink. The other, ethereal white.
Those aged magnolias in the
rear of K st. houses deserve a
complimentary word, too.
As for the shy young green Of
the willows along the speedway
New England friend tells me:
II let all my family go home
after our yearly cherry bios
som pilgrimage. 1 stay here
o few days longer, just to en-
joy the grace and beauty Of
those willows. I know Of moth
ing as exquisite in America. I
am never able to quite decide
whether I like those on the
Hams Point side better than
those you see as you come
round the Lincoln Memorial"
One of the choicest small front
gardens in Washington is that
pocket-sized edition of Mr.. and
Mrs. Frank j. Hogan on Massa-
chusetts Avenue. In its perfect
lawn are actually hundreds of GRO
cuses of the same color as the for
sythia massed at the back. Grass
and crocuseS and forSythia make
q spring poem in gold and green.
Speaking personally again, we
have some rare chickweed in our
garden. We also have some ambi-
tious garlic. Our crabgraSS hasn't
come up yet. But it will. The dan
delions are already blooming.
And now to another distantly
related story:
The Naval Historical Founda-
ton, organized in the interest Of
American naval history, the foster
ing of patriotism and the collec-
ton and acquisition and preserve
ton either in its own possession
or hv transfer or gift to the United
States departments, libraries, his
torical societies or other similar
institutions, of manuscripts, relics,
hooks, pictures and other informa.
ton relating to the history and
traditions of the United States
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