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C8 THE OAKVILLE BEAVER Tuesday December 21, 1999 Homes & Gardens To reach this section call 845-3824 Fax:337-5567 Plants change with millennium T he phenomenal increased interest in gardening has gen erated a rising flow of garden products. While there is steady demand for the older plant varieties, the big increase is in `something different.' What differences seem to matter? New flower colours, size, and time and length of bloom to fill gaps in the present offerings are often successful. Foliage colour especially variegated mixtures are potent changes that attract attention. Variations in the height especial ly compact dwarf types are popular for the small lot market. Hardiness and resistance to insects and disease are sellers in susceptible plants like roses and phlox. The December issue of `Landscape Trades,' published by the Landscape Ontario Horticultural Trades Association has a section describing 154 new introductions for 2000 -- 30 woody plants, 40 perennials, 20 roses and 64 annuals. This is a larger sample than a short column can consider, so our sample is 10 woody plants introduced by Sheridan Nurseries, and a few related plants from Dominion Seed. Sheridan has a long association with Oakville and has a large modem garden centre on Southdown Road, south of Royal Windsor Drive. Dominion Seed House is a long-time mail order source for garden supplies. Butterfly bush (buddleia davidii) Butterfly bushes come in standard form growing four to sixfeet high and dwarf at three-feet. All attract butterflies with fra grant flowers in August. A new introduction from Sheridan is `Harlequin' -- a dwarf at 32 in. with reddish purple spikes. The major feature that sets it apart is the light green variegated foliage with cream edges and a low profile. Caryopteris, or Blue Beard, is a compact plant about 30 in. high with blue flowers from August to October. The new `Kew Blue' is a darker blue than the standard `Dark Knight.' It makes a good contract to the yellow and golds found in the fall gar den. Dogwoods Sheridan's catalogue lists 17 hardy dogwoods which range from 5 ft. - 20 ft. in height, spreading from 5 ft - 24 ft. wide with a range of hardiness from Zone 2. They are noted for their coloured foliage, stems, twigs, flowers and fruit. There is a variety to fit in most gardens. The two newer varieties are tall, `Bud's Yellow' has a rounded shape with distinctive yellow twigs and medium green foliage. `Silver and Gold' has green foliage with distinctive irregular silver and gold edges. Sheridan lists 12 euonymus which are noted for their com pact informal shape, colourful foliage and shade tolerance. They provide summer colour and being evergreen brighten the winter garden. `Sheridan Gold' is an older variety developed by Sheridan which has yellow leaves in spring changing to bright green in July. The new `Sungold' has variegated foliage with bright yellow leaves marked with a dash of green. `Sunrise' has golden yellow leaves all year. Hydrangea The hydrangea is a popular garden plant. Two major groups are the big leaf or macrophylla and the peegee or paniculata. The big leaf types grow about four feet high and have pink, blue or white flowers depending on the acid level of the soil. The buds are relatively tender needing protection from wind and sudden changes in winter temperature although the roots are hardy in Zones 5 or 6. `Demotoi' is new this year and has lace cap flowers in blue in acid soil and pink in alkaline. The Peegee hydrangeas are six to eight feet tall with large cone-shaped white flowers in August. They tum JOHN pink in the fall. The large flowers tend SIMKINS to bring the stems to the ground espe cially in wet weather. They are hardy to Zone 4. The new `Tardiva' has eight-feet high stronger stems that hold up the flower heads. The large flowers are white from August to October turning to pink in the fall. Spirea Spireas are hardy shrubs with white or pink flowers in June with green, red, yellow or burgundy leaves in the fall. In Your Garden They range from dwarf varieties at _______________ two feet to seven-feet for `Bridal Wreath' types. `Thor' is a new dwarf variety with mounded shaped green foliage and white flowers held above the foliage. It is useful for low, dense, flowering hedges. `Carpet' is a new series of hardy spireas with a dwarf compact habit useful as edging plants, small mosaics or accents. They grow eight to 10 in. high and spread eight to 12 in. If planted a foot apart, they will soon form a line or solid mass. They grow in sun or half shade and have golden, green or light green foliage. Sheridan Nurseries are introducing `Magic Carpet.' It has brilliant red new growth that matures to a rich bronze with dark pink clusters. Dominion Seed House is introducing `Golden Carpet,' with gold foliage, `Green Carpet,' with green leaves turning to pur ple in the fall and `Sparkling Carpet,' green with light orange new growth turning to green and purple in the fall. Another introduction is Spirea `Flowering Choice' -- a new dwarf compact one-foot plant that covers the fine green foliage with pink flowers all summer long. Dominion Seed House web page is www.dominion-seed-house.com LIGHT STATEMENT: No longer our primary source of light, today, candles can symbolize celebration, mark romance, define cere mony, and acent home decor. Enjoying a resurgence in popularity, candles, cast a warm glow for all to enjoy. The candles pictured here are from Carlton Cards' GuildHouse Collection. Following tips can keep you warm...and safe Winter weather is never easy on Canadians but over time, we have found ingenious ways to stay warm and cozy throughout the winter. Many people tum to electric blankets to pro vide warmth and conserve energy. For some people, turning on an electric blanket at night means turning down the thermostat. Whatever the case may be, it is important to always fol low manufacturer's instructions and use pre caution when operating your electric blanket, as with all appliances. CSA International (formerly the Canadian Standards Association) offers the following tips for using your electric blanket safely: · Always read the manufacturer's instruc tions before using your electric blanket. · Keep the control away from open win dows. · Do not place the electrical cord between the mattress and the box spring. · Do not allow the electrical cord to be pinched. · Do not use pins with your electric blanket. They may damage the electrical wiring. · Make sure the blanket is used only on an AC supply circuit at the proper voltage. · Tum off the blanket when it is not in use. · Avoid folding the electric blanket when in use to avoid excessive heating. · If the blanket is not operating properly, stop using it immediately and contact the man ufacturer or dealer for information on repairs or a replacement unit. · Always consult the manufacturer's instructions for care, use and laundering of your electric blanket. · Return the electric blanket to the manu facturer or dealer if the fuse link or thermal link has ruptured. CSA International tests and certifies a wide range of products to ensure they meet require ments of applicable standards. From toaster ovens to personal appliances, home workshop tools to audio-visual equipment, many items throughout your home bear the familiar CSA mark. CSA International is an independent, notfor-profit organization supported by more than 8,000 members with a network of offices in Canada, the United States, and around the world. For more information about CSA International, visit their website at www.csaintemational.org. \ u r n r ; .; · £ 0 tm c fu o m R E D C A R P E T S E R V IC E A T E V E R Y S T E P . Dress up your floors for the holidays with an exquisite area rug from a rte r, k ltc h i :o r ia n P M IH CR O O M H C . Christmas, is a season of giving, and with your purchase of any 8' x 10' Area Rug, mmc Twommwm give you _____ Met Robin Garvey and her associates at Oakville Kitchen Centre m ake your dreams a reality with exciting kitchen and bath designs. a 5' x 8' Gabbeh area rug F R E E ! That's a $120.00 value. A perfect gift for yourself or for that hard to buy for person on your Christmas List. plus, wm give $5.00 from eveiy rug purchased to T h e C h ilo /re n e l/\)isn T ou n o jaf-io f] o f C a n o d q * , Visit our showroom of call to set up an appointment mcmeruoomm akville BURLINGTON 1250 Brant Street Visit our web page: starpages.com/pacific-flooring Toll Free: 1-888-882-6788 3 i m Q .E.W . t Q .E.W . MISSISSAUGA 7 3 4 Dundas Street E (east o f Cawthra) 599 Third Line (b elow Speers Rd.) (beside Sobey's) 827*4611 (905) 332-8388 Store Hours: Monday to Friday 9am-9pm Sat 9am-6pm; Sun 12noon-5pm (905) 281-8552