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HOME AND GARDEN Wrdnctdav April IM7 Let this years garden take wing The concept of butterfly gardening is not new it is a very popular pastime in England and the United States Winston Churchill was probably the most famous butterfly gardener of this century Even the gardens of Buckingham Palace have become famous because they provide sanctuary for many rare British butterflies You can attract as many as so dif- LAWN CAJIE Once you treated those brown patches in your lawn with an effective insecticide remove the areas of grass killed by lawn pests and then re- seed says Horticulturist Ruth Friendship- Keller of the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Foods rural organizations and services branch photo by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food Start your garden indoors Get a head start on this year garden by starting It from seed indoors Vegetables and almost any annual flower may be started indoors try celery peppers cauliflower broccoli cabbage squash and tomatoes petu nias phlox verbena asters marigolds and snapdragons Of course many seeds may be plant ed directly into the garden too But by Btartlng your plants indoors you will get early blooms and your vegetables will be ready for harvest much sooner than usual says Ontario Horticultural Association Past President Marjorie Dumford of Gudph Ont Start most seeds Indoors in mid- March but check instructions on packages because seeding tunc vanes from plant to plant To start seeds indoors you will need a dean shallow pot coffee cup or box with a hole in the bottom for drainage Cover the hole with a piece of broken pot or a small flat stone then a piece of fly screen or a layer of four thicknesses of wet newspaper Then add planting medium Jiffy peat pellets a mixture of peat and fertilizer in a net holder expand quickly when soaked with water These are convenient to use and allow you to transplant the seedling directly into the garden said But you may also create your own planting medium by mixing equal parts by volume of peat moss sterilized soil and either vermiculite or perlltc Or buy a good potting soil from a garden centre Then to guard against a fungus disease called dampoff treat the planting mixture with a fungicide Dampoff is common with seeds planted Indoors and It causes the seeds to rot or the seedlings to wilt and die because of decay at or below the soli line It is most common in cold wet or poorlydrained conditions she said Sprinkle seeds on top of the soil or sow them evenly in short rows Press fine seeds Into the soil barely cover coarse seeds with the potting soil mixture Plant only one kind in a container and label Once planted set the container In will all provide food for butterflies fere types of butterflies to your yard part of a lawn with a wild- by adding a few new plants to meadow mix now available ygarden says Landscape Desgner through seed catalogues and garden totleOiinsterofUielJrUversityof centres Is a good way to start landsCape Flower color is important too some arcniteciurc butterflies prefer oranges reds and The secret lies in providing a wide yellows variety of flowers and shrubs purples and blues Shadetolerant plants are as taper- Lyoualmfora wide variety of trior butt as hose that thrive in the sun probab have greater Annuals perennials shrubs and trees success she said If you are using fluorescent light place containers about centimetres under the light and give them to hours of light a day Window sill greenhouses arc also available at garden centres usually for less than said Watch carefully and when the seeds begin to sprout remove the cover For more even growth turn the plants that are growing in the window sill a little each day for plants growing under a light increase the distance be tween he light and the plants Begin transplanting the seedlings in to larger containers once the seedlings have produced two pairs of leaves Use a kitchen fork or a spoon to remove seedlings from their small con tainers place them five cm apart in flats containing similar planting medium prefer flats because they take up less space than individual pots said Firm the sod around the seedlings and keep plants well watered Once all danger frost has passed get ready to transplant seedlings out doors into a well prepared garden with plenty of humus and good drainage Begin by hardening the seedlings This is done by putting the plants outside during the day and bringing them in at night Dumford said Transplant into the garden in the evening after the sun has lost its strength or on a cloudy day Set the plants at about the same depth as they ere before except for tomatoes which should be placed a hi tie deeper and laid on an angle to en courage strong root Firm the soil around the plants and leave a slight depression to hold moisture Water well after transplanting Plantsthataretobcstaked such as tomatoes should have the stakes put in place now to prevent damaging the roots later said Flowering plants to be used as a sup ply of cut flowers should be planted In rows in the vegetable garden rather than in beds or borders where cutting the blooms would destroy the beauty of your landscape ART BOUWMAN NURSERY LANDSCAPING JM Nows the time to Plant BUY NOW For Best Selection of Plants Shrubs Trees etc Come browse and tag the tree of your choice from our large selection of shade and ornamental trees AUTHORIZED UN1LOCK DEALERI OPEN MonFri 8 am8 pm Saturday until pm CLOSED SUNDAYS I I IM1 GIVE THE JOB TO GAS STRING TRIMMERS Features engine E2 advance system Adjustable type handle Motor Starting from 11 HP LAWN TRACTOR Reg IndustrialCommercial Engine Speed Transmission Rack and Pinion Steering cut