Evening star., 1946-05-11
This and That
By Charles E. Traceueu.


Shakespeare called attention to
bank where the wild thyme grew, but we
know one where there are is different
wildings doing well.
While honeysuckle Is the main prod
uct, there are others, including dande-
lions, trumpet vine seedlings, wild straw
Derry, snow-on-the-mountains, barberry
seedlings, privet sprout, maple, oak and
Cherry seedlings, ground myrtle, English
Ivy, violets, buttercups, clover and chick
weed.
1t takes bit of examining to find all
these things, but the effort has its re-
wards, something on the order of put.
ting puzzle together.
The point is that there are thousands
OF similar places, where a little looking
will reveal similar beauties, all the more
pleasant because they are heaped to-
gether.
Wild things look best in the wild
BIRDS played large part in the
planting of this bank, or steep terrace
1t was the lush growth of honeysuckle
OF course. which held the seeds which
fell.
Winds, too, played a part and, the
whole being on q bank, the rains had
something to do with it, washing down
q few seeds.
The second point is that 1t takes =
certain mind to see beauty in these
confus1ons OF nature The mind so ad-
5usted may feel sorry, and rightly, we
neheve, Tor the other type of mind which
likes nothing but order.
we can conceive an owner who look
ing at his steep terrace, would be horri-
ned at such list as we have presented.
Immediately, he would take steps to
tear out all except the prevailing honey-
suckle. '''
The rest would have to 20. They
would offend his ideas of neatness. The
only thing that would save them would
be the fact that he might not see them
There are two ways this might hannen
The plants would be concealed in tho
groWtn OF honeysuckle, or the ouestinp
eyes would not be adjusted to strangers.
The mind which likes such confusion
IN nature would rejoice at the way the
nttie things hide among the larger.
ms Is natures own plan. We have
spoken OF it as confusion, but it is NOT
80 much that, except from a human
viewpoint, as nature in the wild, which
Is the only real nature there is.
The careful householder knows how
easily nature reverts to the raw. The
raw, IN nature. is not something in
human, out simply "as is" It is natu-
RAJ Tor small plants, such as buttercups.
10 md bit of soil and come up,
This coming up among other THINGS
Is at once the triumph of nature and
the solace of the human mind. rightly
adjusted. Some minds are not adjusted
10 the things around them. Thev find
more grumble in gardening than happi-
ness. They ought to give it up.
Let things come up as taey please Tn
that way, without worry, one gets ali
that nature has to give. .
1t is true that on the bank instancsa
some OF the things must come out at
last. NO one wants cherry, oak or
maple trees on bank, as a rule. But
ior the time being, they are lovely, and
deserve TO have place in the sun.
we hope the chickweed will be al
lowed to remain. And the ground
myrtle. and the violets. A too tidy gar
dener might think some of these smaller
growths just weeds, but the birds like
them.
hHaS love all wild growing places.
whether in a corner of the yard. or on
bank. The fine growth makes up for
other faults.
Birds like berry bushes tall things
such as sunflowers, and low trees such
as dogwood. Every home grounds, how
ever small, should have wild corner to
appeal to the birds.
Too much cleaning up is bad. 1t re-
places the way nature does things with
the way the planning mind of man tries
to do things.
We are getting our fill. as nation,
OF planning" in the grand manner. Ali
it leads to, evidently, is confusion and
lack Nature knows better. She is not
too much set on planning. Growth is
her ace up the sleeve. She did her
planning 50 long ago that she has for
gotten about 1t.