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WHrFBY FREE PRESS,- OUTDOOR LIVING, MAY 4,1988, PAGE A7 Flowering bulbs signal spring 'By VEIZONICA COLANGELO The daffodils, tulips and other spring, flowering bulbs are making theïr presence known and have signaled that spring has arrived. You may think that ail you need do is to enjoy them, and they will return year after year just as splendid. Most will return year after year, but their future spiendor will depend to a large extent on how they are treated during their spring season. When' you purchased your bulbs in 'the fali, they already contained ail the food they needed to produce, quality blooms corne spring. In order to ensure that the future blooms will be as rewarding, they should be fed in spring and . throughout their growing season. Thé bulb 15 fed by the foliage. As long as the foliage. is strong and healthy and bas sufficient nourishnient, the bulb beneath will be.> renewing itself and forn'ing the bloom for the next year. As soon as the leaves emerge in the s p rng, a balanced fertilizer sodbe applied. An analysis of 20-20-20 is a good formula to use. There are granular fertilizers available that are simply sprinkled around the plants and scratched in. However, plants are unable to absorb and use fertilizer unless it's in a liquid forni. G ranular fertilizers tend to wýork slower that liquid fertilizers because usually they are dependant on rainfali. This is okay 'it we're getting a fairly regular dose of precipitation, but for more immediate action use a fetilizer that is dissolved first in water and applied as a liquid. Apply.,fertilizer regular]y as the bulbà grow and mature, continue to fértilize after the flower is finished. -While ýdaffodils and narcissus tend to 'increase in quantity as the. years izo by, tulips and hyacinths tend te deteriorate. Many gardeners dig up and discard theni after they have flowered and start anew in the faîl. If time and budget don't make this possible, they wil likely bloom for several years but. with declining vigor. Once the plants have flowered, cut off the flower stem, te prevent, the bulbfrom setting seed, which will take strength away from the bulb. Recause bulbs get their nourishment from the current season leaves, it is important not to cut them off. They must be allowed to ripen naturally. There's no doubt that as this occurs, they become more and more unsightly. If you can't live with this, braiding the foliage might b one way of improving the dying foliage's appearance. Loa lly, an example of this method can be seen at Cullen Gardens, in late spring. SEE PAGE A12 MO THfiER N1114ATI U RE AT ITS FINEST... WEALL & CULLEN GARDEN CENTRES! WEAL &CULENWEALL & CULLEN WEALL& CULLENý PARK( BENCH WEAL & CLLENFROM BEKA CASTING - Cast Aluminium Furniture with HANINGBAKET .SPRING & SUMMER Classic Elegance. ':hqoseN Brm A SupESofLQ DAN Sturdy and decorative, the frame is constucted of cs hangingbaskets featuring fuchsia, WEED & FEED' aluminium with treated hardmait. Aalbl ih begonias, impatiens and i~ white, black, or garden green aluminium frame. many'more. Mixed 16-2-4 PLUSIIMOJN or single varieties.j Controls over 50 broadleaf weeds b14.99 while producing a rich green Iawn. ~ $ 4 9 10 inch pot R $' ady to ose, slow release formula. MOTHER'S DAY INDOOR GREEN& FLOWERING PLANTS' Varieties to please every Mom. AZALEAS, HIBISCUS,'MUMS and many more. WEALL &CULLEN PATIO POTS Choose from muxed pots featuring geraniums, begon ias, impatiens, dracena, varigated vinca and morel xcelant for sun or shade. Take a few for your cottage tool $l490 inch pot Checkout our selection of decorative cerarnic an d molded plastic containers for your patio pot. WEALL &CULLEN> #1 ROSE BUSH ES Weall & Cullen quality roses are ail #1 graded according to their quality of growth. They are Canadian grown and have been tested to thrive in our climate. Our roses are also GUARANTEED to bloomn in the first season! SAVE $6.OO 3 for'$2,998 Reg. $11.99ea. WILSON'S EARWIG DESTROYER A ready-to-use bait that attracts and kilîs earwigs. For - use around the E RI 4 houseýand in your m ov garden.. Also effective on antworms and sowbugs. ca'i dleaII SN!'SERY GARDEN CENTRES 668-33961686-0844_ -_ --e