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

Page SPRING HOMF GARDEN Friday March 22 1991 Spring gardening activities are heating up Though the Canadian climate varies widely most of the coun try has already experienced some springlike weather even if winter has returned again or at least threatens to do so Only on Canadas west coast may gardeners be assured of an early start for their activities Elsewhere only now are garden ing activities heating up Gardeners usually think first of their lawns and after a good ing apply a fertilizer for much needed nutrition The Canadian Garden Council advises that the best buy in turf fertilizers is always a premium priced pro duct regardless of brand Ideally a spring lawn fertilizer should have a high percentage of its nitrogen the first number of the threenumber formula on the bag available from a long- lasting organic or synthetic organic source eg SCU or urea- formaldehyde Pasteracting formulae will do the job but will stimulate more growth than needed in the spring with little nutrients for the grass plants later in the spring After the lawn most homeowners think about addi tions changes and im provements to the garden itself Right now is the ideal time to plan such items as the addition of a bed of roses If you have this in mind remember that rose bushes like full sun for at least five or six hours per day If you have that type of location the one factor to keep in mind in deciding on the size of the bed is that you should always be able to reach in to the centre of the bed at least with a Dutch hoe from the edge of the grass or walkway Your soil may need to be amended with Canadian sphagnum peat moss Your local garden centre is the best place to head for advice on planting your rose bushes They will likely have a catalogue listing and perhaps illustrating some of the more popular varieties Herbaceous perennials are now the most popular form of home gardening Plants such as peonies and Iris in the spring delphiniums and phlox in the summer and asters and mums in Fireplace safety Fireplaces are one of the most attractive home features providing family members warmth throughout the cold winter months However lack of maintenance and safety precautions can create some home hazards As temperatures drop families are often anxious to light a warm and inviting fire in the fireplace but before sinking the match homeowners should give their fireplace a thorough inspection First of all a look up the chimney to make sure that the area is clear of any obstructions should give you an idea of the fireplace s condition If you ve ncer operated a fireplace before and especially if you recently purcrmcd a home you should call in a profess to give ihe entire fireplace and chimney a thorough inspection It s also a good idea to periodically have your chimneys professionally cleaned in order to clear dangerous soot from the insides of the fireplace walls This will prevent any residue from igniting and creating an control blaze A good inspection is the start of practicing fireplace safety but family I REAL ESTATE AND YOU Jamie Johnston education is paramount in proper use While older members of the family should know how to build and maintain a fire be sure that every person in the family also knows what to do in case the fire gets out of control make a firm plan of action It is that home owners add a fireplace drill to their regular home fire drill routines The only way younger members of the family will know what to do in case of fire is practice Children should also be instructed to know that fireplaces are not toys and can cause them harm if not treated with caution A fireplace can cut home heating costs and provide hours of comfort and enjoyment to the family if its used wisely For a free copy of our Moving Checklist please call or visit a Canada Trust Real Estate office near vou Serving Halton Hills AND SURROUNDING AREAS Residential Agricultural industrial Commercial Call For All Your Concrete and Aggregate Needs 5198530330 JAMES DICK CONCRETE HWY7ACTON Fax 11 6 85361 10 Box Bolton Ontario the fall are just six examples of thousands available If its a shaded area you have there is a good list of perennials for that condition too For example primroses columbine bleeding heart bergenia and plantain lilies all thrive in shady gardens There are many more Again your garden centre is the place to enquire Before undertaking any changes in your garden It would be well to have an overall plan so that you dont end up putting one feature where youll later find that you have to move it due to a consideration which you had given no thought The Canadian Garden Council has produced on behalf of garden centres all across the country The Garden Planner A Practical Guide to Home Landscaping It is available free from many garden centres Or you may write the council 1293 Blvd Mississauga Ont L4W enclosing to cover postage to receive a copy Drapery Hardware Included Worth The Drive To Downtown SPECIAL UNTIL APRIL 15th WHITE SPRUCE AUSTRIAN PINE TALL TALL TALL ALL PRICES INCLUDE PLANTING FERTILIZING STAKING MOVERS AND SUPPLIERS OF LARGE AND SMALL TREES ONE YEAR FULL GUARANTEE MOST VARIETIES AVAILABLE FROM 3 TO 30 TALL 2 TO 8 TRUNK CALIPER PLANTED FERTILIZED FULLY GUARANTEED ONT 5198556878 tev ARMS