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Page THE WEEKEND OUTLOOK Friday April Environment Pesticides are a bane on the environment By JIM HOLLINGWORTH For the past years our gardens and agricultural lands have been subjected to an assault by the application of chemical fertilizers and pesticides her bicides insecticides and fungicides These poisons con taminate the air we breathe the we drink and the soil that grows our food Chemical pesticides were first formulated during the second world war They are derived from the same chemical agents that produce deadly chemical weapons Over such agents are applied to Canadian food forests homes lawns parks and every human tested on Earth No one has escaped this menace From to the global production of pesticides increas ed from to 2 billion pounds annually The World Health Organization has lakes These agents have permeated all aspects of our environment They have been found in the fat of Arctic polar bears in the milk of nursing mothers in the water and fish of remote lakes and in Gardening A garden plan is important A garden plan will assist in con trolling expenses on your 1991 garden It will also help ensure that the time and money invested in your home landscape is well spent According to the Canadian Garden Council a well- landscaped home can add anywhere from seven and 14 per cent to the selling price of a home Most home owners think a pro fessional landscape plan is out of reach for them They envision such a plan requiring a visit by a landscape architect in order that the owners needs problem areas and desires and dislikes be thoroughly discussed True it is most important that the familys present and future needs be con sidered and that building in and staging in the garden plan will take time However there Is no reason the homeowner cannot perform many of the preparatory steps thus saving valuable professional time To this end the Canadian Garden Council has a Garden Planning Kit that will be available to homeowners from participating garden centres at no cost The kit is basically a three part package consisting of 26 Guelph St Georgetown Ont 8779896 INCREDIBLE SAVINGS ON BRAND NAME FURNISHINGS AT WHOLESALE PRICES Ontario Chesterfield Wholesalers Behind Gulph Auto Mall Guelph WERE YOUR INSURANCE BROKERS WE UNDERSTAND PAUL ARMSTRONG INSURANCE BROKERS LTD 143 MILL ST Hilton Georgetown Ontario 33 an introductory section with in structions on how to draw a sim ple rendering of your garden us ing recognized symbols a detail ed questionnaire designed to have the homeowner make basic decisions as to what kind of garden is desired and what features needed and grid paper on which to draw the garden as it relates to the house with space to include at least one photo of the garden as it exists With the questions answered the homeowner then takes the kit back to the garden centre where it was obtained or if obtained from the Council to a local land scapegarden centre A garden plan can then be developed in a short period of time and at very little cost In most cases the garden centre offering the ser vice will provide the planning at no cost if a certain low expen diture level on the plants is achieved The Garden Planning Kit will be available in garden centres in most parts of Canada in late March to mid April If you are hoping to make major landscape changes or your lot this year now is the time you should be giving thought to some of the key questions in the kit Some of the most important questions to be asked of oneself have to do with the functions and role the garden is expected to fulfill Examples of considera tions are- do you have a swimm ing pool now or will you want to install one in the future do you have or anticipate having children and thus do you want an area for play equipment now or in the future would you like to raise some of your own vegetables and if so just how intensive an in terest is this where would you like to have a patio or deck or both and how is it to be shaded and do you require a storage area on your lot for a boat or trailer that would need to be camouflag ed with plants Most important in delibera tions on just what kind of garden is desired are the thoughts on what type of plants are preferred For example evergreens pines spruce junipers provide year round color and interest vs deciduous trees and shrubs maples poplars lilacs which have a ma jor presence really only during the spring summer and fall Ob taining nursery catalogues now and browsing through them is a good way of making up your own mind as to your likes and dislikes HR Block stands behind its work We guarantee your satisfaction And our experience in preparing complete and accurate tax returns will give you peace of mind HR Canadas Tax Team Put us to work for you Under New Ownership In A New Location 8737855 JAMES STREET OH Mom St Downtown Georgetown established that over 20000 deaths occur annually as a result of pesticide use The majority of these deaths occur in thirdworld countries where pesticides that are banned in North America because of their toxicity are applied by un suspecting farm workers However such banned pesticides are often used on crops which are subsequently imported back to us thus completing the circle of poison It is quite likely that many deaths in North America result from pesticide use How can we reduce our ex posure to and our intake of pesticides Research shows that the urban use of pesticides on private and public gardens and parks is 15 to 25 times greater than on agricultural land Public concern and pressure has persuaded some municipalities and school boards to stop the use of pesticides on parkland schoolyards and roadsides Some lawncare and insect- control companies are now posting warning signs following the application of pesticides Individually we can limit the spread of these pesticidal poisons by refusing to use them on our own properties Do we have to aim for that pure monoculture of perfect green grass that is so highly promoted by the chemical lawncare specialists Will our egos disintegrate if we are found out to have a few violets clovers and dandelions on our front lawns Will we feel glad or sad when we find that the pesticides ap plied to our lawns have been in haled by our family and neighbours have contaminated our drinking water and have entered into our food chain These are important questions to be asked before pesticides are ap plied to our urban lands There is an alternative healthy way to maintain a lawn Such a lawn may have a few more flowers insects and worms in it than the chemicallydependent lawn Such a natural lawn will be healthier for its owners the birds and rabbits that feed upon it and for the whole planet In How to get your lawn and garden off drugs published by Friends of the Earth Carole Rubin clearly illustrates the practical steps to create an organic lawn and garden This excellent book Is available for from Friends of the Earth Avenue West Ot tawa Ontario KIP Now more lawncare com panies are switching to organic methodology Should you require the services of a lawncare com pany select one that uses an organic nonpesticide or minimal pesticide approach 73 MAIN ST S DOWNTOWN GEORGETOWN John est 1950 Jewellers Learn to Drive and Survive with Young Drivers of Canada NEXT 4 WEEK COURSE STARTS WEDNESDAY APRIL 10th 630938 pm 1 6 RD S SUITE 302 GEORGETOWN 350000 GRADUATES RECOMMEND YOUNG DRIVERS OF CANADA