Evening star., 1941-06-22

0AkS DCAIS
Burnt Wood Inscription.
The garden is entered through a
quaint iron gate between high brick
posts covered with ivy. On the
gate is a burnt-wood tablet bear
ing the inscription:
I'm Memory Of Another Garden in
the Golden Days Of Long Ago"
Underneath one reads:
"Of all that bloomed, grandmother.
loved the best, in that garden
bright,
Wee valley lilies blooming sweet
and low,
In grandfather's garden long, long
ago.
And now in gardens that bloom
ever fair
Amid sweet flowers that can never
fade,
They live forever, that dear aged
pair,
Loved by their children's children
who had
Played in the old garden running to
and fro,
In the golden days Of the Long Ago"
Mrs. Gightfoot explained that the
inscription, of her own composition,
was a tribute to her mothers parents
from whom she inherited love OF
flowers and poetry. AS she led the
way to the garden, she told the story
Of its beginning and how vegetable
garden and a chicken yard, which
stood there in former years, had
been transformed into the attractive
sanctuary which exists today. A
lecture on "Old World Gardens" by
Miss Frances Benjamin Johnston of
the Arts Club IS years ago, had been
the inspiration for creating her
memory garden" she explained.
Il thought, It's a crime to have
an acre of ground and no garden,
and made up my mind to do some
thing about it, Mrs. Lightfoot said.
She paused a moment to call at
tention to a handsome evergreen
which lowered at least 80 feet above
the vine-covered wall.
India's Famous Tree
Finds Haven Here.
That is a deodar," she explained,
"the famous evergreen of India. It
Is considered rare here and this
grew from a seed given me by a
friend. He had three, but this is
the only one that lived"
Closely the deodar. in contrast to
the oriental tree, are sturdy apple,
pear and cherry trees. the latter
now heavily laden with brilliant red
fruit. A damson plum was pointed
out by Mrs. Lightfoot as a heritage
from her mothers day. The hand
some peonies bordering a center
path cutting through the garden
were also inherited from her mother,
Mrs. Lightfoot said.
They were brought from her
home in Virginia over so years ago. 81
she explained, land planted in the
yard in front of our house. The
house was built by my father. the
Rev. James Owen Dorsey, in 1887
The first Episcopal church services
were held in our living room and
the house has ever since been known
as the birthplace of Trinity Church. -
The peonies, Mrs. Lightfoot said,
had not f1owered for some time
when she started her garden. "I
decided to transplant them. When
they were dug up the roots
were so heavy it took two men
to lift them" she continued
They were knotted and gnarled
and had to be untwisted for
planting. After they were placed
where you see them now. thev
bloomed the first season and have
done so ever since"
Leading to a rose-covered arbor
close to the garden wall, Mrs. Light
foot pointed to a tablet similar to
that on the gate. On it was written:
To Frances Benjamin Johnston,
Whose lore and art of Old World
Gardens have made dream come
true"
I had never met Miss Johnston
when I commenced my garden" she
said, but planned a meeting when
it would be finished. learned that
her favorite flower was a climbing
rose and had it trained above this
arbor.
The garden was three years old
when, through mutual friends, met
Miss Johnston and invited her here"
The speaker smiled as she recalled
Miss Johnston's surprise when the
tablet in her honor was unveiled"
as she sat on the cypress bench.
Retreats Beneath Vines
Inviting on Warm Days.
Mrs. Lightfoot has erected several
attractive "hideouts" throughout the
garden. They are tucked away
beneath vines and trees, inviting
retreats on warm summer days.
Mrs. Lightfoot's two daughters,
one librarian and the other a
social worker, have helped their
mother in her garden Chores" but