NATIONAL GARDEN WEEK ACTIVITIES 
April 22nd to 28th Inclusive 
Endorsed by) President Harding, by the United States 
Department of Agriculture, and by) the Bureau of Education 
Whole Nation Astir with Plans for Celebration 
Move Started to Make It Annual 
A Priie of Fifty Dollars (50) is offered by The Garden Magazine for the best article illustrated with adequate photographs on what 
has been accomplished in some one place as a result of the stimulus of National Garden IVeek. This may be an account of a community 
activity, some individual effort, a public planting, a personal garden, etc. Manuscripts to be submitted any time up to October first 
8 ^T IS difficult to estimate and perhaps impossible to over- 
estimate the value in seasons to come of this first nation- 
W wide giving-over to things of the garden. Nature is 
^ ever so appreciative, and with even a little initial en¬ 
couragement flowers and flourishes increasingly from season to 
season so that whatever we plant of beauty this year is only the 
beginning of enjoyment; the harvest is reaped in increasing 
volume as the years roll round. That busy people and tired 
people shall look out upon Roses instead of cinder-powdered 
banks as they shuttle along to city-bound jobs is only one of 
sundry ways that Garden Week plans to put fresh color into 
many lives and bring new gladness of eye and spirit. 
The mere willingness of a nation to focus its attention for a 
period upon gardening activities and to make them a matter of 
countrywide celebration is in itself inspiring; but the enthusiasm 
with which National Garden Week is being ushered in proves 
indubitably that “the psychological moment” for its birth has 
arrived and that it is the logical outcome of a deeply rooted and 
ever-widening interest. Each day brings us vivid proof in let¬ 
ters and plans from here, there, and everywhere throughout the 
Union in such numbers that all but a few have regretfully to be 
excluded. With total impartiality and more or less at random we 
have selected for reprint some typical activities already underway 
and a sheaf of plans soon to be translated into fruitful actuality. 
Club Activities Already Afoot 
the garden club of America has endorsed National Garden Week 
and is urging observance of this program in all of its various chapters. 
The New York City Branch is offering prizes to the High School Girls 
of Greater New York for the three best essays on “How to Improve 
and Beautify a Vacant City Lot Which Is Now Rendered Unsightly 
by Advertising Bill Boards.” 
the horticultural society of new york takes pleasure in giving 
official recognition to National Garden Week and in furthering its 
plans in every way feasible. 
the city garden club of new york city, 8oo strong, heartily 
endorses National Garden Week and will 
actively cooperate in observing it. 
THF DOYLESTOWN, PA., NATURE CLUB has 
planned a most interesting week. They 
have secured the cooperation of all the 
local clubs, both men’s and women’s, as 
well as of the local civic bodies. This 
club owns a small piece of property which 
they have named “FONTHILL.” Here, 
during Garden Week, each of the 275 mem¬ 
bers will plant a tree, making of a now 
barren spot, a beautiful bird-sanctuary. 
The club plans to work with the schools 
and is doing everything possible to make 
this week one of value to the entire com¬ 
munity. 
THE HOME GARDEN CLUB OF ST. PAUL, MINN., 
furnishes free seeds to all their charitable 
institutions and to deserving families. 
This club has bought a carload of fruit 
trees giving them away as prizes to school 
children and selling the remainder at a 
nominal cost. These 10,000 trees would 
have planted a boulevard from St. Paul to 
Minneapolis. Purchasing their seeds in 
large quantities, the members of this 
organization personally fill the orders and 
deliver the seeds. They also give prizes 
for the finest fruit grown from trees either 
sold or given away by the dub. 
the garden club of des moines, iowa, is to publish circulars of Wild 
Flower Preservation to be distributed during National Garden Week 
by the Camp Fire Girls. They will also offer prizes during this week 
for best gardens of certain types. Illustrated lectures on gardens will 
be given and the whole week’s program carried out. 
the national plant, flower, and fruit guild contributes free seeds, 
potted plants and flowers to hospitals and tenement houses. 'It also 
places filled window-boxes in homes in the congested city districts, 
holds plant markets annually in tenement districts, and supplies 
nature material for the free flower shows held in the public schools. 
the garden clubs of Bergen county in New Jersey have become a 
federation and combine in urging zoning and ordinances in small 
towns, planting of parks, giving talks and 
lectures throughout the year on all phases 
of garden work, both from the point of the 
individual and community garden. 
in the terminal station of the New York 
City Railroad, a club maintains a booth 
where commuters can leave flowers from 
their gardens. Upon request, flowers will 
be sent to any special charity. Where no 
such request is made, the club distributes 
these flowers among the sick, in the 
congested quarters and among the hos¬ 
pitals. 
THE FLUSHING, LONG ISLAND, GARDEN CLUB 
will observe the entire week. This club is 
offering prizes to High School pupils for 
the two best papers on “Trees.” It is 
also to give talks on Conservation, Good 
Citizenship, Parks and Playgrounds, Tree 
Planting as a Community and National 
Asset. A meeting of all the Long Island 
Garden Clubs is to be held at the Brooklyn 
Botanical Gardens, followed by an illus¬ 
trated lecture on “What’s New in a Gar¬ 
den.” This club will also hold a meeting 
at the Flushing Hospital when they will 
present to the Hospital “The Hospital 
Garden” bought and paid for by the 
Flushing Garden Club. The Boy Scouts 
and Girl Pioneers will be invited to plant 
“ Garden of Garden Born ” 
Flowers of long line 
Bloom in my garden now 
Who knows the lineage 
Of this plum bough? 
From seed to brown seed 
The secret dye is passed, 
The texture woven firm, 
And the shape cast. 
Roses of roses born 
Since Babylon was sweet 
On that high terrace where 
Came a Queen’s feet. 
Garden of garden born 
Through centuries. 
Eve may have gathered flowers 
Like some of these. 
Louise Driscoll 
131 
