Evening Star Newspaper, April 26, 1931, Page 79

Water Gardening to Beautify Yo BY EYUM A MARIE KLAGER. NE of tii> flower lover's greatest joys is watc: gardening. There is noth- ing more beautiful and fascinating than a pool of richly hued and deli- ' cately perfumed water llies, with a flew brilliantly colored goldfish gliding grace- ‘fully back and forth among the lily pads. If one has the urge to do something different, truly here is an opportunity to express cne’'s fndividuality, by creating an attractive out-of- @oor living rocm. % No experience is- necessary for the growing of aquatics and the only requirements are full sunshine, rich soil and warm' quiet water. Un- Hike any other form of gardening, the work 4s completed after the pool is constructed and planted, as there is mo hoeing, raking nor weeding to b> done. The goldfish, snail and tadpoles are the only workers, for they keep the water clean £nd cparkling by feeding upon the refuse and larvo> of the mosquito. In the vicinity of Washiazton, where the Winters are not severe, everything may be left in the pool the year round. The only attention is the necessary Spring house cleaning. The small ncol may easily be made by the gardener himseif, for one who really loves to garden enjoys a bit cf this type of recreation. Here one has th: joy of gardening twice, first by painting the picture in his mind and then @duplicating it in his garden. Ome is equally @8 enjoyable as tho other, ‘ . N chcosing a site it is essential to select 4 sunny nook, as the more sunshine avail- able for the lilies, the more generously they will respcnd by sending up their fragrant waxy blossoms and leathery foliage throughout the entire Summer. If the garden is on a gentle slope, the pool should preferably be located at the lowest point—thus giving a natural effect. Here another oprortunity opens for converting the slopes about it into a rockery, for one adds to the beauty of the other. A flowering shrub, such as the everbloom- Ing butterfly shrub (buddleia), planted in the background, makes a delightful picture, but #¢ must be so placed that it will only cast re- @Gections and not shade the pool. If the space Permits, a bird bath nearby is an attractive feature. A bench near the pool, where one may linger to enjoy its beauties, adds a fin- fshed touch to the ensemble. The gardener will have many new visitors, as the bees, the Birds and the butterflies will be his guests on cloudy as well as on sunny days. There are fnnumerable kinds of perennials suitable for planting besiic the pool; among those giving height are the lov:ly Japanese and Siberisn frises, the spireaca (astilbe) with its plumy wands, and many of the ornamental grasses. A few of the low-growing varieties, lending themselves admirably for tucking in hers and shere, are rock cress (Arabis alpina), the moss pink (phlox sublata), and the speedwell (ve- gonica rupestris). ‘The natural pond is the most ideal for the growing of aquatics, but we are not all fortu- mate enough to own one of these coveted pos- sessions, and therefore must resort to more makeshift methods. There are countless va- rietles of containers from which pools can be made. Many an attractive one has been made from a discarded barrel. Any water-tight re- ceptacle may be used. In some instances even these are not necessary, as a bowl-like de- Pression in clay sofl will suffice, An inex- pensive pool can be made from a large tub, & group of half barrels or a portable metal $ank, all of which may be purchased for a hominal sum. It is advisable to build as large 8 pool as one's space and purse will allow, for the gardener no sooner his pool than be wishes it were larger. If one wishes to make a more substantial @nd permanent pool, it is desirable to build one Continued from thh Page Phe sturdy yeoman that rustles the blades of our Western corn fields would be apt to laugh with no little complacency at the primness and beauty of the great National farm in which he a substantial interest, His homely saw of all talk and no cider would most likely pass his lips unconscicusly as he there saw utility and profit forgotten in studied efforts for fanciful display. After spending two days and a half in Washington I set my face for home and passed by the same route and amidst the same imposing scenery to Wheeling. Then I trusted myself to the bright aind swelled bosom of La Belle Rivierre until I was borne after two days of quiet repose to the Sunday sllence of the Queen City.” That politics were quite as absorbing in 1840 #s in 1918, we are reminded by this entry: “This morning's Eastern mail brought papers from Wachington, due nearly two weeks since. The mails have been held up until now by the almost unparalicled depth of snow upon the mountains. The more I think and read of the v election case, the more fully I am i of the undoubted right of the Whig to their seats as a ‘wanton and reck- less disrezard of the written Constitution and sett'ed pieccdent. No longer meed the law- shicldci American boastingly unroll the writ- ten cheorter of his liberties to the wondering gaze of other nations and governments, if in any emergency, however critical (such as in that of a domestic political rivalry, its solemn obligations are by him inspired or slighted in word or deed—but I forget, *tis with politics 88 prayers, breath's often gpent in vain. “There seems by the latest advices to be 8 predisposition among some of the mem- bers of Congress to vulgar recrimination THE SUNDAY STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C., APRIL 26, 193!. Some Valuable Hints on Hozw to Build a Lily Pond and Rock Pool to Make an ““Outdoor Living Room’’ of Your Garden. ®d pool is the eye of the garden, in whose depths its beauties are mirrored.” of & good grade of cement. Any one who knows how to mix and handle concrete can do the work. The satisfaction of having done all the work one's self, adds to the pride of possession, and is well worth the effort. If you do not care to mix the concrete yourself, any reliable local dealer will furnish it ready- mixed, to be used immediately. and personal insult altogether discreditable. Linifer, Bynum and Stanley seem most implicated. ‘They certainly disgrace them- selves and their constituents by making the Congress hall the parade field of their gallish bickerings and jealous hate. The American people go not up to their great political temple, as erst the old Romans went to the wide circling amphitheater, to gloat upon the gladi- ators’ bloody strife. Their errand there is— or should be—to see the calm and elevated views of their legislators wrought into an ex- pression of intense and prophetic interest for the uninterrupted welfare and dignity of their extended country. Messrs. Clay and Calhoun, both giant spirits—but the latter an unrly one ~—indulge in some severe ‘retorts, of much the same temper as those in the Lower House. Near the close of the unpleasant controversy, M. Clay uses the following language: “The Senator says I was flat on my back and that he was my master. Sir, T would not own him as my slave. He my master, and I compelled by him!* How must his proud form have dilat- ed with indignant anger as he uttered those words. I have thought much of the second sentence quoted; and the more I think of it the more overpowering and prostrating it seems. Mr. Calhoun, you were disarmed and defeated. (‘DISCOVERED this evening with the as- sistance of mother that Queen Victoria’s mother is the sister of Ernest Duke of Saxe Coburg and Gotha, the father of Prince Al- bert, her betrothed; also that Leopold, Duke of Belgium and uncle to Albert, married the daughter of George, the Fourth, and cousin of Victoria. That German family has been ex- tremely fortunate in its alllances with Great s pool built as nearly even with the soil as possible, is the most artistic, as a carpet of velvety green grass around it provides the proper frame fnve decided upon the design and your .‘IM, exca- 30 inches—thus depth for growing water lilies. of thoroughly mixed comcrete, ecement and two parts vel, over the whole Britain and Spain and Portugal. I forgot which, it may be both. How happy to live in a land where blood and rank and royalty are lost in the more sterling qualities of honesty and merit and patriotism. But, query? Are we in such a land? “April 2, 1840—Saw a sight today, mirakile dictu, ’'twas nothing less than a hale and buxom lassie who had survived the breath- snatching ordeal of being kissed lately by the Whig candidate for the presidency! It is doubtful, however, with me, whether if all who ing places it would be deemed a i tinction or favor. I fear the compliment would seem rather indiscriminate to be highly valued. i “February 17, 18 and 19—The past three early youth looks so sadly desolate and dilapi- dated as to induce thoughts of the bitterest i 7 —_ ur Grounds ly. It should be protected from the sun and kept moist during this process, as the more slowly it hardens, the stronger it will be. After the concrete is seasoned, the pool should be thoroughly scrubbed and washed several times to remove alkili, which is injurious to both plants and fish. The water can be draim- pool it is desirable types of shallow water plants Among the everblooming are the dainty blue forget-me-nots (Myosotis palustris) and the lovely glistening yellow water poppies (Lime nocharis Humboldtic) which resemble the well known California poppies (Eschscholtzia). 'HERE are two distinct classes of water lilies—the tender or tropical and the hardy. The tender lilies are divided into the day and night blooming varieties and must be treated as annuals, unless one has facilities for taking care of them indoors during the Winter. hardy lilies are day bldomers and should mit the mirror-like reflections which are among its chief charms. It is desirable to plant with the lilies, one or two floating water hyacinths (Eichornia crassipes major), for it is upon the roots of these plants that the goldfish spawn. In the very small pocl it is best to place soil in the bottom and plant the lilies in while in the larger ones, each lily should planted in a box about 114 feet square and foot deep—the boxes filled with rich mixed preferably with well rotted cow manure, as richer the soil the more numerous and finer flowers. Tamp the soil down firmly in the box, the dig a hole and plant the lily in a horizon position, adding encugh soil to cover it to the crown. An inch layer of sand sprinkled over this prevents discoloration of the water and keeps the fish from disturbing the roots. After the lilies have been planted, only sufficient water shculd be added to cover the crowns by about 3 inches—thus allowing the warmth of the sun to reach the plants. As the lilies grow to the surface, the water should added gradually until the pool is filled to th the most alluring. Many an unsightly or barren vard has been transformed, seemingly overnight, into a.lcvable spote of hands of the garden probation. It looks a little too much like French republicanism—too much devotion to words and stars without an examination of the persons and things they purport to repre« sent. It is in politics what the ‘form of godlie ness without the power’ is in religion. “As occasion offered, for the last few days we have been engaged in attempting to dise« tribute among ourselves the estate accumulated and left us by the faithful and perserving prudence and industry of our deceased father, We have succeeded quite well thus far and I hope in veneration of his memory and worth we may consummate our mutual agreements with quietness, satisfaction and peace. Nothe ing among relatives strikes me as more loath« some and reproachful than that anfl‘:}oul selfishness of the heir who eagerly grasps the strongest possible hold upon the porperty of an ancestry whose careful industry has left this bait for his greediness.” Tnl diary is replete with equally intgrest- ing recordings that only limited space forbids mentioning. A scholar and thinker was he; one who could endow even matters of small moment with considerable loftiness of expression and often with a good deal of quiet humor. It is perhaps interesting to note that as a writer he was somewhat in advance { his time. A flowing, roundabout way of was then much in vogue, but his wag power of saying exactly what he mean§ rt, direct sentences. The superior intele lectual endowments of the man are evidenced peculiar literary style. must have read widely and thought deepe was & golden treasury of informa- power of expression is equal to foremost writers. He wrote men took time to write.