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6 Home, Lawn and Garden, Wednesday, August 1, 2007 464 Harrop Steeles Main St 464 Harrop Drive 905-876-0111 SHOP TODAY FOR FALL $AVING$! Thompson Trafalgar Rd 401 Hwy 25 The best way to create a low maintenance flower bed With today's hectic pace, carving out time to look after-- let alone enjoy your garden-- is becoming increasingly challenging. Using these tried-and-true techniques to enjoy living in your garden instead of working in it all the time can pay off in spades. Place gardens beds where they make life easier Select areas where there is difficult terrain for a lawn mover to negotiate, such as landscape rockery, the sides and corners of your home, or tight property corners. Make sure beds are large enough to accommodate the growth of mature plants in the coming years. Starting with a garden bed that is too small can result in more work down the road when reconstructing your project becomes necessary. Aim for a simple and spacious look Beds with straight or very busy edges require more maintenance. Use slow, gentle S-curves to create a flow that looks natural, allowing you to focus on what has been planted instead of the distraction of contrived or irregular-shaped lines. Use a hose or spray paint to outline where you think the bed should go. To trace a line that is easy and quick to navigate, imagine manoeuvring your lawn mower along the line you're creating. These gentle curves will allow you to simply and effortlessly follow the edge of your beds with one, non-stop motion, reducing how much time it takes to cut the grass. Primarily chose native plants-- those that grow naturally in your local environment-- for your garden. Native plants continue to thrive and improve over the years, minimizing your need to fight a never-ending battle to contain, thin out, prune, shape and replace materials that aren't meant for your location. Arrange large numbers of these plants together, to create a visually appealing natural landscape. Reserve small areas as focal points for your favourite tropical plants or annuals. Create a natural backdrop Lastly, cover the soil with shreddedbark mulch. Create a layer about three to four inches thick the first season. Then reapply a layer about one-inch deep in successive years, to maximize weed control. Mulch reduces the need to water plants, naturally composts your soil and controls disease, not to mention creates an aesthetically pleasing backdrop that accentuates the beauty of plants in your garden. Enjoy! For more information, visit tumber.ca --By Randy Tumber, APLD, CLD, CHT. Based in Orangeville, company founder and president Randy Tumber can be reached at randy@tumber.ca. Serving Halton Hills and surrounding areas DECORATIVE GLASS DOOR INSERTS STEEL DOOR ENTRANCE SYSTEMS GUARANTEED LOWEST PRICES! 1-2 WEEK DELIVERY $99! CROWN MOULDINGS From GREAT SELECTION! COLONIAL CASINGS BASEBOARDS INSTALLATION & HARDWARE AVAILABLE · CONTRACTORS WELCOME! W H AT P HO N E B O OK I S T H E E AS I E S T TO U S E ? AS K T H E G OR I L L A . Links to Local Sales & Specials Local Video Guide Complete Local Business Directory Shopping Mall Guide Local Web Guide brought to you by: For more information on Gold Book call 310-GOLD or email info@goldbook.ca