THE WELLINGTON BACK-YARD.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 540, 22 June 1909, Page 3

THE WELLINGTON BACK-YARD.

:^\i : . > IT.i-" /; : -.'• > ■ ';.>:.; V;f |We have to'.' livo:in ■ Wellington, and.'it - is. a'oity-of ; baek'-yardsi" : .wrote" a v;.:"/■.-;Boutherfl 'girl'-'despaiiingly:,t6.;a friend when i;':,.. h'oi - 'eyes,\; accustomed ;to" the. prettygardens;'of, :;;'■■: Chriauihurch,' wore. still /too':much'.occupied : ;.;: presented to.her:view, to, be. able to;look oyor ;.-. : :•' them/ at' the j beauty,.-of, liill-side, and: harbour., ; > 'It-is always the prominence .of :the ! Wellington ;■' V'-'baok-yardjthat strikes a-stranger; : first,;:a.nd ■■:■' : ; : this. is:,ddubly.-a;' pity I ,'- for -Welliugton ■' people ■■" V are apt not to 'love their,own back-yards,-'and ■';;'■ ",;:'■ so do, n.otiiing;'in the waly of beaiitifying them, v; ; :,though',;tne average:AVelliugton..citizen.,must ■";■',' ;:,6pend jiisit;as:mucn:.tiine Jopkmg at the .yard .-^,''/..of.'O^'hous(itM'atVthe;:fao']fron.t ; 6f-'an6taer."'.,'. .<'. ■'.'''---Indeed, our' neighbour?s'back-yafd . is. :.o. ;"-..; .''-filing of' great; imppri : anco. to :U8 all'. ■: It' is an' :.^■.^.^ii^tefa■i■;pa^j6:■^;our■ , l'ands(^αpe.' i /It'is.'.nMHy..' yie.w, orcityipark^and,: 7,;. lipst^part',-.-it consists .of a .tiny' area /■'yv-i>l:;;trod_den earth,"a", woodshdidj.and'a fenco.of )''i'f '.weather-discoloured/..w00d,;. , and tie. only dis- , ■ ;;; ; ; ;.tartion':t6:.'be.-. , ; ; ;",Vyaids;is;in':their.'degrees;of tidkess.' •'Sonip. '."■ -.';. .*;are'untidilyvstrewn-with.'.rubbish'and":luinbpr; ■;;•; ;: : Bom«'are'trim' and;blamelees';-but,'nncwDpro- - ':":., misingly back-yardisli; Dot.often is;pne really ■y- .■, i beautiful ) \thougjh:..fine'flowers..will growVeven ; ,; : inr a back-yard just .as well'as anywhere, oise' '-■ ; ..Nature. ' is'iabWe .'. ; .sqch; .acdidenial; , -little , ■:,,■,■■•■ igeographies^as' baok-yard'; or iioni; . and 'to : , ! ... good, ran' of-■ Nature smiles'< on : - back, and .front :> ,; i dfter-;There: ; are;back-yards; that 'have been. /}■:'.. '■{ made-the most; of,; an~d, one' will come across. •;'.;'' ; '-these;in^^^the:'most,unsuspected'phcee.'. '-.The ■'%';-'/}moA'{A;^e r 'ha&j^t r ai. ;. y•-: have .bWdere .'.edged , ; iwibu i-v ■, and it'is sometihies iii atinv' ;V;>. : ; ploi'betonid' a Kbtle'city ; shop thai .the' most ■ :■;;,'. peautifiil'.of .real:qlove'■ blossoms flower'hixnri-. , ■ ,;/N.-;,wtlyV:i^y:- ; :;;>';:;vc^.,v;.';:hn^'' :/ .;; v ;";V'; : i' ; ■•: /';/,;, theiVclothes- .'; ;,■ prop andrubbish-bin-playfa'conspiciionVfpart '■'' •' : m :; iie:': scoriery— ; the., centrej;; one:, notices.' has , ■.■::, i~been; asphalted .arid,',, round; : two sidbs, run's ; a '<: s ;;nar'ro\y,;,bqfdervcrammed\tb- byerndwirig: with :';,^ :that : luxtiripiisly: '; The ;■•' i ,ugly i: fence' is.yhalf;covered 'with giant,nastur- ,'..'.-' rambling';rose throws long'delicate ■':'/;.'■• Branches ..aorose; a ; biish' of 'flowering■ currant, ; r;;; that''.smeUs/delicijusly; but never flpwers{ In. ■ I: one;corner .geraniums iand ::fuchsias crowd • ;';. each- other, and' mingle scarlet -and■■ crimson . ; ;fiowefs/, here, is ~ah;. arym ; .lily and i.there a .V- ■'.'■ lily 'With magnificent; variegated. leaves, while :;"::> ! allahe;; spaces;are,:,-fillei;/up;;with: little,, :-■:.-',;. ;vplants, i-stock, cbsmeae,- ;' •:; :; ; yellpw':coreopsis, '■:'. and, '■ anemones. Yesierday ;, ,: 'was;the shortest day,'.-but • the''promise of spring jjis V coming/ to;- the.; city; garden';' ;the-. ';,;: ; Bweefepeas.. are' already! fa 'f aw; inches above ; !f ; : .•ground arid/ : against.the'green':of the nastur- :■■:, .tiums,. which -.have,' now .finished .flowering, .■;V ;arei.starred' a' .few..paper:-.white ■ narcissi and •ti :':thick«;green;blades- : ;;push hero .and: there ,;(.v black soil. ..One' cannot indulge, /./, r.the'Jahdscape'garde'niug in'a little back-yard: '.^tr:''.^-v;αf.>:thesq;:.dilnensi6lls/'^but > ' > ''phe- v canl■at'.'leaßt. ;..::. :cbyer,ithe fence-with\foliage,^'.'and mass flower- ';■•.'- ing.; plants.;against.'.theogreen-xurtain.' Pro-:the-population ,of eWelljngton". were' ; ...not so'.restlcss,].if:th6 man. who .lives: in Abel ;!.';,'' Smith/.'Street ■ to-day. were : lipt likely', to be' '.'■'■,','.:': found ■ iliying; :h'alf-way ■ up."Nairn'. Street, 'to- : ■ ■";;' -. iinorrowj' mbre\;would: be .''done,'inv'tho ', of ;•' •'. 'fl'beautiifying; the but -it is : certain " ; ."(: there';'.is' ; -no'-'joy..iii .ailittlo , oasis: 1 at ,■:.;'.''!. the,back of one's house in 1909, if the tenant ;::// ';..whp-;will liyo.therp: in.l9lo.is/likely, to.ca^'e : ;;.;^:; : o■nly /forVdeseHtpatclics.V'ißulirif /Wellington :;:;.:;. gon'erally -would; take'.spnie the' ':;;"; -ground- available : for. J growing- green .things ;....;" and,flowers,".thereiwoold^be..some' encouragetenant,.pr;,tehiporary'.'tenant, : :;;-to take'care of'the fldwers'that,ho knew'his ■v,r:,','succossor. would value.'■;:-,'A great,deal could ". ■:../bo ;dpne}by the".children in a- , family- with a /' .y .little- careful -supervision, oh : the' part: of bu^y .;; : r.-parents,:..and;-the.:■ ;occupatioh ; would .'be \as ■'; : ,';gbod:fof.;the.;little ones.as;the ,resuli.would •"-.■■■ ■ '■;.be. sa.tisf actrfry.. to. the-neighbourhood^-:',:• :■