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SPRING HOME IMPROVEMENT Wednesday April a Page Timesaving ideas for your landscape By designing a low maintenance landscape you can reduce the amount of lime you spend tending your flower beds lawn and shrubs says Horticultural Consultant Pat Tucker former head of the grounds department at the University of You can eliminate most of your choosing lowgrow ing dwarf varieties of trees and shrubs The Korean Boxwood the swarf snow ball Viburnum Nana or Arctic willow f purpurea Gra cilis are good choices Look for plant varieties that can grow just about anywhere and arc known to be hardy and dependable PlanlSlhat lose their leaves drop theirfruit or their flowers such as the Norway maple the tulip tree or the catalpa are poor choices if your aim is to eliminate work Tucker said Of course perennial flower beds are timesavers because the plants bloom year after year Try bieeding hearts peonies iris phlox delphiniums and hardy geraniums and blackeyed Susans Youll find it is easier to care for your flower beds if plants are grouped and you will enjoy the added attractive ness of volume And by curving your flower beds youll be able to do most of your trim ming chores with a lawn mower To keep weeds down use a mulch such as bark stone chips or cocoa beans And where grass simply will not grow under mature trees on a slope why not try a ground cover English ivy peri winkle or are usually trouble free once they are established Before planting aground cover you must get rid of weeds cultivate the area frequently to destroy weeds or use an herbicide If you use a chemical weed killer follow the application rates recom mended by the manufacturer Perennial flower beds are timesavers because the plants bloom year after year Here Master Gardener Jill Hutchinson of London shows off her perennial garden Master Gardeners are gardening enthusiasts who have received formal horticultural training through the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Foods Master Gardener program Once trained Master Gardeners are available to answer questions from trie pubtfe The chemical kills grasses and weeds but it will leave the dead roots and crowns in place These will hold the soil and prevent if form being washed away before youryoung plants can take hold Tucker said Occasionally your ground cover will require a trim or insect and disease control fertilize once in spring at similar rates used for lawns While planning your notrouble landscape dont overlook the value of a lowmaintenance shrub such as for- sythia honeysuckle and viburnums relatively little cost Or plant of trees and shrubs to provide all the design criteria of texture colour and form Evergreens particularly the spread ing types such as Green Acres Andorra and Tamanx jumpers are used in the landscape they tolerate hot sunny sites and provide texture and colour during the winter months These are also relatively free of insects and disease But they are slow to fill in and expensive to purchase Tucker says evergreens such as wintercreeper lowgrowing shrubs such as cotoneaster or herbaceous per ennials such as creeping are also good choices These grow to a minimum height of 15 centimetres and they will also sup press weeds fill in quickly and can be easily propagated IN THE SWING The black and white Hefty Designs Swing Stay wute- basket ia enough to fit into any contemporary kitchen This model Is available in other color combination Accent is on color in kitchens Choosing an energy efficient house During the balmy days of spring and summer the last thing any one wants to be reminded of is the in evitable return of winter the other fact of life in me northern hemisphere Many Canadians develop a mental block to snow sleet and howling north- em winds as soon as the last down- tilled jacket is stored in spring How ever if you are shopping for a new house this spring keep the memory alive at least untilyou are satisfied that the dwelling is energy efficient Choosing an Energy Efficient House A buyers guide published by Canada Mortgage and Housing Corpo ration answers common energy ques tions The booklet aims to make en ergyconscious house hunters aware of the elements of energy efficiency and where they can be found in the dwell ing There are five components that work together to create the energy effi cient home insulation airtight con struction controlled ventilation pas sive solar heating and an efficient heat ing system When these factors interact prop erly fuel consumption can be up to per cent less than the conventional house The welldesigned wellbuilt energy efficient house is also draftfree with even temperature distribution It will be cooler in the summer wanner in the winter quieter less dusty and maintain a comfortable level of humid ity CMHCs guide will steer you clear of the pitfalls of poor construction or design These include construction costs over heating in spring and fall poor air quality condensation buildup on inte rior walls and windows and a house that may be more expensive to beat dun expected Although there are no guarantees of energy performance Canadas build- ing industry is responding to the energy needs of homeowners You can ensure a wellbuilt energy efficient home by asking the builder or seller about the five factors of energy efficiency First determine the insulation levels recommended for different areas of the house by local building codes these will vary according to regional cli mate The value of the vinous types of which measure the resistance to heat loss Compare recommended levels with those actually used Take a good look at the insulation to see ifitisproperiy installed Check that it is evenly distributed throughout the house but kept clear of chimneys ven tilation features electrical wiring and plumbing penetrations If buying a home with a cathedral ceiling or flat roof make sure there is enough room for insulation and venti lation between the insulation and the roof deck normally 300500 mm The energy efficient building will have higher levels of insulation in exte rior walls than its conventional counterpart Good construction means the avoidance of thermal bridges that is areas where heat can bypass insulation and escape through building materials Studs floor joists and masonry walls can act as energyconducting thermal bridges In the basement walls should be insulated right to the floor and founda tion soil welldrained to reduce heat loss and prevent frost heave Ideally insulation is applied to the outside as it keeps the wall warm and frost free Check that the above- ground wall area has been covered by a protective material Hoots over unhealed garages or crawl spaces should also be insulated Many builders insulate the basement slab to increase the amount of comfort able living space available in the house The energy efficient bouse does not rely on insulation alone con struction keeping warm air in and cold air out is also a major factor to consider In extremely cold or damp cli mates airtight construction is vital because frost and condensation can build up often causing structural damage to the house Normally a test is performed on a house to determine now tight it is and where leaks are located Before you buy ask the builder if this test was carried out and what the results were is achieved when a sound airvapour barrier is constructed throughout the house Sometimes de scribed as a large sealed bag this bar rier stops interior and exterior air from passing through the walls and stops water vapour from entering the wall from inside the house A word of caution once construc tion is completed it is impossible to tell if the airvapour barrier has been installed correctly without tearing apart finished walls Because ofthisit is vital they buyer check depressuriza- test results Decorating tips this spring include brighter and more vivid colors than ever Red black classic white and slate blue are some of the more trendy accents in kitchen decor However even though consumer search experts agree that colors are im portant they find time and again that a commonsense approach is most success ful in using color Hefty Designs took this approach when creating its new wastebasket line The Hefty Designs team interviewed color experts to confirm the trendy and the traditional and asked more than 2000 consumers what problems they had with their waste containers Here are a few of the features that Hefty Designs as a result incorpo rated into its new product line Lids in bright trendy colors red yellow mauve federal blue and black Lids in traditional colors slate blue chocolate yellow white and beige Baskets in three harmonious base colors- slate blue white and beige Lids that stay open for easier use then close when the user decides to close them A ring that locks the trash bag to the rim of the can so even heavy trash wont pull the bag into the can it also prevents ugly bag overhang A bagstorage shelf on the can that keeps packages of trash bags handy Each is made of durable plastic for easy cleaning and every can has a glossy finish to keep the looking neat and dean Each model carries a full fiveyear warranty against breaking during normal household use The Hefty Designs line consists of five models Two Step N Stay models a tall and medium size have an extrawide foot pedal The Tall Swing Stay model has a lid that swings away from the trash The Tall Lift N Stay has an easily oper ated lift lid and the smaller Open Basket model is perfect for tight spaces Each wastebasket in the Hefty Designs line was designed to accommodate standard trash bags sold in stores The tall wastebasket models fit perfectly with tall 13gal bags and the medium Hefty Designs models fit medium bats BEAT THE SPRING RUSH Call Now FREE ESTIMATES SOLARIUMS SUN PORCHES in Cedar and Aluminum POOL ENCLOSURES ENTRANCES etc SUN DECKS Sell Install Aluminum Windows and Doors VICTORS GLASS ENCLOSURES Over 25 Years Experience 4168731258 SHOWROOM 55 SINCLAIR AVE UNIT 16 GEORGETOWN ONT