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Lawn Garden Real E&tate This Week? Wednesday" May 26) 1993~SPuye 7 LTD. All Types of Fence Professionally Installed or Do-It-Yourself Free Estimates & Consultation GEORGETOWN BRAMPTON 451-5910 873-1431 Homeowners’ thoughts turn to gardens The recent — and long-awaited — arrival of spring has triggered many an itchy green thumb. If you’re like most homeowners, you’re anxious to get out in your garden and make cae grow. And, regardless of its Experienced gardeners will tell you that there’s nothing quite like the thrill of seeing the fruits of your labor spring up from the earth, viding you with a cornucopia of color and texture. Some people prefer to stick strict- ly to flowers, while others opt for a mix of flowers and vegetables. There has also been a resurgence of interest in herb gardens. Many people a that several varieties of herbs — addition to supplying g¢ sea- sonings — also moni excellent ground cover. Variety and Color Even if you don’t have enough space for long, sweeping vistas of flowerbeds, or even a vegetable patch, you can still pack a lot of vari- ety and color into small flowerbeds. If you have limited space, don’t forget that flowers can be easily planted in narrow strips along fences and shrubs as colorful, attractive borders. Climbing flowers such as clematis and portulaca are also an epics if you can only expand It’s a good idea to set a realistic budget when planning this year’s — and to stick to it. Experts also recommend that you sit down and try sketching out your plan — to scale — before making your pur- chases, Take. all variables into con- sideration, such as the amount of light, shade and wind your garden receives, as well as your soil type. (Some plants, like azaleas and thododendrons, for example, prefer acidic soil). Consult an Expert If you’re just starting out from scratch and-don’t have any previous plantings — or you want to replace or revamp your current garden, you may want to hire a landscape archi- tect to come up with a plan that best suits your needs and growing condi- tions.. When planning, keep in mind that some plant varieties attract certain types of insects (such as bees and aphids), while other repel them. Marigolds, for instance, have long been touted as good bug deflectors. og Consult the experts at your gar- dening centre or check out some gar- dening books for more information on “companion planting” and natural ways to eliminate pests. have pets or young children you'll probably to consider avoiding chemicals altogether. Environmental groups usually have quite a bit of lit- erature available on the subject. You may also want to use plants that attract certain t of wildlife — such as butterflies and birds. Again, for more information, consult gardening books or an expert. Color and Size Keep color in mind as you plan your garden. Do you want to use one color throughout your garden, or would you like a variety of hues? Take the height and growth range of the plants you intend to use into con- sideration as well. Obviously, if you choose a variety that spreads, you'll have to leave room to allow for future growth. While rows of plants of varying heights look attractive, you can try ce oo Comnr Televis' Weekly caiaaiiuie eShedae” forme week of Moy Zath is Bern iy Cable 4 ogee Religion 6:00 ‘Community 6:30 ‘Change on Life 7:00 ‘Sportszone 7:30 Focus on Europe 8:00 ny Friday 5:30 faliaild Calendar 6:00 ‘Sportszor 6:30 Halton als Council (May 25/93) Check Schedule daily on Cable 4 TBA = To Be Announced (recently recorded programming) 853-1270 not out Containers and Window Boxes Container gardens are a popular Monday choice for many BS (VICTORIA DE because they don’t generally require 800 you at BANG-O-RAMA - as much maintenance when it comes Tues: to weeding. If you opt for containers, Jf 5.49 Religion ae may find you have to water 6:00 Optimists TV Bi em more often. Conversely, after 700 Retum of Tiger Jeet Singh heavy rains, you'll have to drain the ‘ make sure your plants don’t fj Wednesday drown in too much water. 5:30 TV Story Time Window boxes are also a popular 6:00 ‘Community Calendar way of adding some extra color and 6:30 Money in the Bank excitement to your home if a garden 7:00 Halton Seniors' TV isn’t viable. Boxes brimming over a with cheery, cascading annuals not haa eevee ne only dress up your windows, they also. serve to make your home look more cosy and inviting. Planning Your Garden When planning this year’s garden, take stock of what already exists including any bulbs. (You won’t want to remove them accidentally.) If you have quite a few perennials — plants that return year after year — you may want to limit your purchas- es to annuals (flowers that grow for one season — like impatiens and petunias — and don’t last over the winter). And if you have areas of your gar- den that are sloping or prone to ero- sion, you may want to incorporate me ground covers to help keep the soil in place. There are many varieties of ground covers available through gar- dening centres. Some homeowners are even opting to replace their entire lawns with hardy, low-mainte- nance ground covers. Others prefer to try and capture the look and feel of a natural mead- ow and plant wildflowers. If you’re interested in recreating a natural look, or finding out what type of ground covers would thrive best in your yard or garden, talk to the experts at oad local nursery or gar- dening cent Set Realistic Hadget. varying things a bit for a more infor- * mal, FREE FERTILIZING wi allie) e ~~ a LAWN CARE ~ Organic and Environ Programs ~ Weed Control" « Aeration Fertng 873-WEED 873-9333 PATIO SLABS 24” x 24” rey, Red, mene White $4.25 ea. $3.75 each bundle — 24 Perma Paving Stone $4.15..5. 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