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Page 2 SPRING HOME IMPROVEMENT Wednesday April 198 Use the right mower for your type of lawn Make the most of a small lot April showers bring May flowers and that means hard work for the garden enthusiast However the amount of work necessary to achieve a successful lawn and garden depends on the quality of equipment used Type and size of a lot determines what garden equipment en thusiasts will need this spring says specialist Henk Van Meijel The first thing I ask people is if their lot is hilly or flat does it have a lot of flower beds and how large is it Mr Van Meijel said Mr Van Meijel owns Lawn and Garden in Stewarttown which specializes in the sale and service of lawn garden and small industrial equipment According to Mr Van Meijel people who own a tot less than a quarter of an acre in size require nothing more sophisticated than a Quality power mower For those adverse to pushing they can pur chase a selfpropelled lawn mower The operator is required to stand behind the machine and guide it while the mower doesthe rest of the work Mr Van recommends this type of mower to small plot owners if the terrain is hilly and to those whose property is half an acre or larger The Cadillac of lawn mowing equipment is the tractor riding mowers which range in price from to The most advanced of these models with the ap propriate attachments can easily be adapted to clearing leaves and shovelling snow Mr Van Meijel said Liner trimmers tillers and leave blowers are some of other types of equipment carries Mr Van Meijel says he sells only quality equipment Fifty per cent of his business is with landscaping companies We sell equipment that will last bet ween and 15 years he said also services equipment However with regards to both sales and repairs Mr Van said he only deals with equipment suitable for four acre lots- or smaller To properly start off the upcom ing gardening season Mr Van Meijel says people need a mower and line trimmer at the least- A trimmer is used to groom lawn edges Mr Van Meijel said Mr Van Meijel is from Holland and spent his early childhood and youth working on his parents farm He immigrated to Canada In and has been in the garden equipment business for the last 10 years eight of which he has owned Henks here in Georgetown Mulching waivers regain popularity For many homeowners the most diffi cult part about mowing the lawn is the clippings do you do with he clip pings According to experts it Bolero Corpo ration the best answer may also be the easiest Put them back into the earth mulching mower Thats what independent university studies show Agronomists point out that mulching results in a generally greener and healthier lawn because nutrients are returned to the soil Mulch particles decompose and are absorbed by the grass root system within M days Mulch allows evaporation at the soil level without adding to thatch Mulching mowers first introduced decades ago are again popular because many of todays models are ideally suited to meet the demands of todays home owner According to a lawn mower designed for mulching must have a deep mowing deck and use a specially engi neered multipitch Made The Made and deck combine to create air suction to hold grass upright and once cut to suspend the clippings in the mower chamber while repeatedly chop ping them into finer particles These small panicles are then Mown deep into the turf near the soil level where they decompose quickly A conventional side discharge mower on the other hand Mows clippings hor izontally onto the lawn rather than forc ing them down into the turf The long clippings he on the lawn sur face in unsightly brown clumps and this of dead clippings can sometimes become thick enough to exclude sunlight and cause yellowing and weakening of the turf Homeowners also can bag the clip pings but it generally takes to SO per cent more mowing lime to empty the bags and dispose of clippings ENGLEHART Think your lot is too small for a vegetable garden Well by landscaping with vege tables as well as flowers you can make the most of todays small city lots MasterGardener Bonnie 3 Englehart Ont Master Gardeners are gardening enthusiasts who have received formal horticultural training through the On- of Agriculture and Foods Master Gardener program Once trained Master Gardenersare avail able to answer questions from the public Try planting a border of leaf lettuce and marigolds around your foundation plantings or grow tomatoes on a trellis to separate two areas Planning is an important part of landscaping with vegetables You must consider such things as colour growth habit the time when each variety looks Us best and appearance after harvest she said Cabbage for example is an effec tive accent plant until the first head is harvested Once the head has been cut the remaining leaves become an eye sore At this point perhaps you could replace the cabbage with small pots of marigolds petunias or geraniums Location of the vegetables is of prime importance too Full sunlight adequate waterproper fertilization and good soil are impor tant if your vegetables and flowers are to thrive she said Certain vegetables also require a regular spray program so you must find out if the spray wilt adversely affect neighbouring flowers or vice versa she said For instance if you plant vegetables around your rose bushes check to the chemical used on the roses will harm your vegetables And note if there is a time interval required between the last spray and harvest time so that the vegetables are not sprayed too close to consumption One advantage of planting vege tables in your flower garden is the unique effect that can be created by combuting new colours forms and textures she said Parsley with its dark green colour and ruffled texture is a good choice for your border Parsley is usually late to start from seed in the spring but it is very effective if you plant the seeds with spring bulbs in the fall By late June when the bulbs have finished flowering the parsley will be fully grown and will hide the bulbs unsightly foliage Asparagus which is a perennial makes an attractive delicate background in a perennialgarden But it is important to remember that asparagus needs about four to five years before you can begin to harvest the tender young shoots she said Tomatoes may be used in several Ways in a budgetwise landscape Miniature or cherry types can be used in patio pots or as a border plant Larger varieties can be trained to grow on a trellis for an effective back drop to the rest of the garden Best of all the tomatoes can be harvested and the plant will still be an attractive part of the landscape The globe artichoke with its un usual head and thistlelike flowers makes an interesting accent plant The heads may be cooked like as paragus or sometimes eaten raw Kale and borecole with its finely curled dark leaves can be used as an accent or border plant The tender leaves of borecole can be used as boiled greens chopped for salads or used like lettuce in a sand- SPRING SAVINGS START HERE 4 PEAT MOSS Reg SB 99 N0W6 2 PEAT MOSS Reg LAWN TREAT 2D Kg Cavers 300 Reg 2 for FRUIT TREES hi Stock SPECIAL 20 OFF F0RSYTHIA 2034 GOLF GREEN 18 Kg SB Reg 27 Kg Purchase Any 2 Bags of Fertilizer and Receive FREE FAN RAkEValuei099 wich i Brussel sprouts also make a good accent plant in a flower garden And after harvesting the sprouts late in the summer the plant still looks attractive in the landscape Herbs tarragon dill sage may be used as background materials or accent plants Ornamental basil with its dark purple leaves and lavender- white blooms is an interesting contrast plant Chives with its long narrow grass like leaves and flowers is ideal in a border Swiss chard may also be used as border material Or try green and red peppers the shiny leaves and fruit of the add a unique texture to your landscape Other vegetables are more difficult although not impossible to use in a landscape Sprawling plants such as pumpkin squash aiuTbeans should be avoided certain circumstances Rhubarb can be used as background material but it dies down in late sum mer limiting its use Air cleaners can work Its virtually today that the air we breathe even outdoors is a chemical soup especially in our larger cities Automobile exhaust fac tory smoke pollen spores insecticides and pesticides are but a few of the contaminants with which our lungs and bodies must contend Bill Curry is a Marketing Commu nications Manager with ICG Canadas largest manufacturer of heating and cooling equipment He sends us this in formation about ICGs Electronic Air CleanerThis model will all contaminants you can see with the naked eye such as lint household dust pollen and mold spores contaminants that requireamicroscope to see such as insecticide dust and bacteria contaminants that canbe seen only with an electron microscope such as tobacco smoke cooking smoke smog and viruses An electronic air cleaner can in fact be effective in reducing the bothersome air pollutants in your home It will help your home stay cleaner let everyone breathe easier and will be a special help to allergy sufferers If you dont have an electronic air cleaner this is a good time of year to get one Most manufacturers are offering preseason deals and it will get you ready for the pollen season I CUSTOM I PAINTING Interim I ReiUerraaiaCemrnerdjI large Luxury Hornet FREE ESTIMATES 15 off I OS I McQueen forsythe TO START TO SAVE SAVE engine Save on a Toro Guaranteed To Start powered mower with the exclusive Toro five year starting guarantee All Toro Guaranteed To Start powered mowers are guaranteed to start on the first or second pull for five years or well fix them free OUTDOOR POWER EQUIPMENT GUELPH ST Hwv 7 GEORGETOWN SALES SERVICE RENTALS PARTS Hacncu done long enough