The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver Weekend, Saturday April 19, 2008 - 15 `HOW-TO GUIDE' YOUR GUIDE TO CHOOSING PRODUCTS AND SERVICES FOR YOUR HOME & FAMILY 2008 HOW TO... Make a statement with your home Create a grand entrance You get one chance to make a first impression, so make a Statement. Turn ordinary into Extraordinary! Statements offers custom wood and composite doors. The custom composite doors are engineered for reliability and withstand the rigors of nearly any environment, while being beautifully crafted to emulate the rich appealing look and feel of solid wood doors. "Many people visit our showroom wanting a solid wood door, however, once we explain the benefits of the composite product and they realize it is nearly impossible to tell a Jeld-Wen IWP Aurora door from a wood door, they are converted immediately", explains Lauren Gesualdi at Statements. Whatever your taste, the Jeld-Wen IWP custom doors are available in four collections: Traditional, Classic, Charming Old World Estate and Craftsman Collection. Try our doors on your home ­ on line! Statements offers a unique, virtual tool that allows you to upload a picture of your home and see how it would look with a door from Statements . Try out different door designs in the convenience of your own home before meeting with a Statements Design Consultant. Visit the interactive web site at www.statementsdefine.com. Also on the web site, you can view the gallery of "Before and After" shots and a sampling of some of the most recent installations. Mantels that Captivate with Charisma Multi-Cast's Fireplace Mantels come in various styles and colours that can accommodate any fireplace be it gas, electric or wood burning. These mantels combine the look, texture and durability of natural stone. Stone-Cast over-mantels and hearths can accessorize a mantel to produce a complete floor to ceiling unit that enhances the appearance of the entire wall and adds character to any room. For more information, visit Statements at 407C Speers Road in Oakville or call 1888-444-5606. www.statementsdefine.com `HOW-TO GUIDE' YOUR GUIDE TO CHOOSING PRODUCTS AND SERVICES FOR YOUR HOME & FAMILY 2008 HOW TO... containers require more frequent watering Containers must have drainage holes. You may need to drill holes in nontraditional pots. To plant in wooden crates or baskets, line the container first with landscape fabric. Use the Best Soil. Parkwood Potting Mix works well as it is a potting soil that's specifically blended for container growing. Welcome spring into your garden with container gardening Growing plants in containers is a great way to provide instant colour and drama into your garden. Choose a container. You can be creative and look around your home for interesting containers. Think about recycling a wooden crate or an old watering can. There are also What to plant There are some great choices now available. Primulas, Pansies and Ranunculus offer immediate colour and are frost tolerant. Osteospermum, a beautiful plant native to South Africa is also a great choice and is now available at Oakville's Sheridan Nurseries in purple, fuchsia and white. More tips for success: Watering: Most container plantings tend to dry out quickly and will need very regular watering; during hot spells they may even need to be watered twice a day Fertilizing There are organic fertilizers available that can safely be used on container plantings Maintenance Deadheading will keep flowers looking fresh and prolong blooming, and removing dead leaves will help control pests. many traditional containers available in terra-cotta, cement or plastic. Choose larger pots (14 to 18 inches wide) for mixing and matching several different plants. Smaller