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Wednesday, July 21, 1999 THE OAKVILLE BEAVER C3 Foundation plants add beauty and colour Lush foundation planting not only enhances the look of your home, but it promotes the atmosphere of welcome before you've even opened your front door. Evergreens, especially, say, "Welcome." The luxuriant blooms on rhododendrons and aza­ leas usually last two to four weeks, but if you plant varieties that bloom at different times, you can enjoy months of color, not to mention the faithful, verdant background of green that is maintained. You'll want plants whose form, texture and colourcreate a pleasing bridge between your home and garden. These will be appreciated every time people enter or exit and should pro­ vide year-round interest. The best foundation plantings soften angles, blend indoor and out­ door environments, and enhance scale. You will enjoy how plantings can accent structural features by "leading" your eye to the door, around a comer or along a wall. Begin with the evergreens. They do a terrif­ ic job of providing a constant backbone of colourand visual warmth, and their needs are simple and easy. The sun lovers like at least six hours of sun, but most like light shade. They all appreciate good drainage, so plant the root balls high -- in a shallow but wide hole. Water often, but lightly. They all like good mulching to keep roots cool. Evergreens love to be plant­ ed in acidic soil. Acidic soil? Sounds awful, but it's not. Soil quality is measured on a pH scale of 0 to 14, with values below 7 considered to be "acidic" and those above 7 to be "alkaline." Different plants thrive in different kinds of soil, so "acid- loving plants," like conifers, azaleas and rhododendrons, will do best in soils with pH levels below 7. People often ten d to forget th a t creating gardens is fun . The gardens closest to where people w alk should fa irly shout ou t how much fu n they are. You can test your soil with a kit from your garden center or by mailing a sample to a soil­ testing lab. If you find that you need to modi­ fy the pH for evergreens, just feed them Miracid® Plant Food -- they will thrive. A common misconception about Miracid® is that if you use it in the soil for an evergreen, an impatiens might not be happy there too. Go ahead and use it. You would be amazed at the compatibility all plants have with Miracid®. There are two categories of evergreens from which to choose. The conifers (needled ones) include yew, hemlock, cedar, cypress, pine, juniper, spruce and fir. 'A e broadleaf ones include those bloomin' rascals -- rhodo­ dendron and azalea, along with laurels, pieris, hollies, pachysandra, boxwood and leucothoe. A good mix of texture and colourcan be quite pleasing, so try many types. Each category has varieties that grow large and types that stay compact. Make sure you take mature size into account before you dig that hole. When well- fed, it doesn't take long for a happy plant to achieve maximum size. If the leaves and needles of already estab­ lished foundation plantings are signaling that they are unhappy, here's an interesting tip. Lime from the concrete foundations of your home may be leaching into the soil, causing evergreens to turn yellow and die. Miracid® restores the proper soil chemistry and actually can save the life of your plant. Once you've applied the Miracid® food, either in the soil or with the Miracle-Gro® No-ClogTM 4 in 1 Lawn & Garden Feeder, the response is quick. The double-acting nutrients feed through both the roots and the leaves. People often tend to forget that creating gardens is fun. The gardens closest to where people walk should fairly shout out how much fun they are. Appreciate the liveliness and vari­ ety of your plantings. Get excited about how they interact with your house. Search diligent­ ly for plants you want to appreciate every day. Collecting rhododendrons to prolong bloom is great fun. Love your choices. If you are not satisfied, don't be afraid to change them ... and you'll feel welcome too! for our in Today's Paper! Are you sure your sm oke alarm works? Ninety-five percent of Canadian homes have at least one smoke alarm. That explains why far fewer Canadians die in home fires now than back in the 1970s. Canadians know smoke alarms save lives. Smoke alarms detect smoke in the early stages of a fire and sound an alarm, giving you precious time to escape. Investigations into home fire deaths very often find that a smoke alarm did not sound. It may have been discon­ nected or not in working order. The bat­ teries may have been dead, or someone may have taken them out. Most fatal fires start at night. Smoke alone won't necessarily wake you up. In fact, the fumes could put you into an even deeper sleep. Often, victims never wake up. Only a working smoke alarm can save your life! Make sure your smoke alarms are working. A dead unit is worse than none at all-it can give you a false sense of security. Sm oke A larm B asics When you buy a smoke alarm, look for the ULC label. This label ensures the product meets Canadian standards. Read the manufacturer's instructions so you know how to install, maintain and test it. You need a smoke alarm on every level of your home. Single-level homes and apartments should have smoke alarms near the kitchen and all sleeping areas. Test your alarm monthly by pushing the test button. Once a year, use a smouldering cotton string, cigarette or incense until the smoke makes the alarm sound. If the alarm is battery- powered and doesn't sound, replace the battery and try again. If it's electrically connected to household circuits and doesn't sound, check the fuse and try NOBODY BEATS THESE SOFA PRICES! ,x ,d o u b l e THE GST THIS W EEKEND ONLY! ~-~,L __a&tt&sa \ e s s s ........ Z '"millUrnS YEARS TO PAY! S S rTS S x . Y E A R !P A Y M E N T ***** W B O IM T F U L L Y E A R . BRICK • 0 A C only on jrour In d l Cord *o » n « - porchoM *250 Any S od d o U ry dorgo*. oppLcobio W i*. and '49 95 odm.n.Xrokon U poyobio o> to o o! p w do M "W kon pad m M l at h»o ol purehata by to d . doqwo. Vita, MoUffcard. Amoncon E ip r.n Of S nd Cord Rrwknng Trodoaad o! AJfi MHfS Intamahonoi Holdings N Y Ui«d vndor Ik m im by loy id y Monoganoni Gfowp Conodo Inc V n omojri aqvol to do GST «nl bo dnduclnd of kao of purdoM M ake sure everyone in yo u r hom e recognizes the sound o f the alarm a n d know s w hat to do in case o f a fire . Practice yo u r hom e escape p la n regularly again. In either case, if the alarm still isn't working, replace the entire unit. Replace the batteries every year or when you hear intermittent beeping. Don't use rechargeable batteries. Unlike regular batteries, they lose their charge without emitting any warning signal. Smoke alarms can be electrically powered, battery powered or a combi­ nation of both. Whatever kind you have, remember-they don't last forever. Err on the side of safety-replace them every five years with new ones. When smoke alarms become plugged up they may not work, even if the batteries are still good. Every six . month, clean the inside of battery-pow­ ered units with the soft brush attach­ ment on your vacuum. For electric units, shut off the power and vacuum the outside vents; when you turn the power back on, test the unit. Clean smoke alarms more often if there's a smoker in the house. Make sure everyone in your home recognizes the sound of the alarm and knows what to do in case of a fire. Know two ways out of every room and have a prearranged meeting place out­ side. Practice your home escape plan regularly. Once out, stay out, and call the fire department from the nearest phone. Never go back into your home until the fire department says it is safe. Types Of Sm oke Alarms A flaming fire bums combustibles quickly, spreads rapidly and generates a lot of heat but only a little smoke. Cooking fat or grease, flammable liq­ uids, newspapers, paint and cleaning solutions all bum quickly and create more flames than smoke. Ionization- type smoke alarms typically respond first to fast-flaming fires. They are best suited for rooms which contain highly combustible materials. A smouldering fire produces a lot of smoke but little heat. It may smoulder for hours before bursting into flame. Large pieces of furniture, such as sofas, chairs, mattresses and countertops bum slowly and create more smoke than flames. Photoelectric-type smoke alarms typically respond first to slow-mouldering fires and are less prone to be nuisance alarms near the kitchen area. These models are best-suited for living rooms, bedrooms and near kitchens. For maximum protection, install at least one ionization- and one photoelec­ tric-type smoke alarm on each level of your home. For more information on smoke alarms, contact your local fire depart­ ment or the ULC Web site at www.ulc.ca. The above information is from the Canada Safety Council pamphlet Are You Sure Your Smoke Alarm Works? For a sample copy, send a stamped, self-addressed #10 envelope, or for larger quantities contact CSC, 1020 Thomas Spratt Place, Ottawa, Ontario K1G 5L5. Information courtesy o f the Canada Safety Council. w w w . la n d s c a p e l o c a t o r . c o m $ T A t O A ls o M u s t V is it w w w . N a t u r a l L a n d s c a p e D e s i g n . c o m Making Your Landscape Dreams A Reality, • Creative Landscape Design Solutions f On-Site Consultations Landscape Enhancement nA / v Landscape Design & Consulting Service s ' C A L K (905) 949-9122 Y"Creating the Finest Form of N atural A r t ." ■ Th e Royal Bank Financial G roup presents the : OAKVILLE TRAFALGAR MEMORIAL HOSPITAL Oakville Beaver Charity Golf Tournament Great Golf, Great Prizes... and a Great Feeling. Wednesday • August 11, 1999 at Wyldewood Golf Country Qub Book your group now for this highlight of the Charity Golf season, celebrating 20 years of support for O TM H! A u g u s t 1 2 , 1 . 9 9 8 afalgar Memorial. H ospita ls %Wb»C60. l / M W P f : f o x ; ^ 1 0 0 Do llar* B f a v t r C h a r i t y G o l f FOR GROUP BOOKINGS, HOLE SPONSORSHIP & INFORMATION, CALL: ADRIAN COOTE • The O akville Beaver Charity Goff Tournament cjo RBC Dom inion Securities 239 Lakeshore Rd. East, O akville O N L6J 1H7 (905) 815*8270 R«Ml©3]0fpCII7SJQBCE)m D U R A PRODUCTS I N T E R N A T I O N A L I N C . ROYAL BANK FINANCIAL GROUP Fax (905) 815*8180 TtoEChK vnj£ Be a v e r M u t u a l f u n d s Halton Linen Outlet July is our O I Anniversary O v J I I Featuring.fi Percale 200 ** nn Reg 29" ...................F r o m $ 0 . 7 7 per sheet Select Designer Bedding is 50% t. 70% off the 2 Locations To Serve Y ou! STONEY CREEK OAKVILLE 800 Queenston Road 481 North Service Rd.W. (across from Eastgate) (b etw e en 4 th & D o rv a l) (905) 560-5823 (905) 847-2274 MON.-WED. I0A.M .-6RM . THURS.-FRt. I0A.M.-8 RM. SAT 9A.M. - 6 P.M., SUN. 12 P.M. - S RM. MON.-WED. 10 AM. - 6 P.M. THURS.-FRI. I0A.M.-9 RM. SAT. I0 A.M. - 6 RM., SUN. 12 RM. - 5 RM http://www.ulc.ca http://www.NaturalLandscapeDesign.com Smoke Alarm Basics NOBODY BEATS THESE SOFA PRICES! THE GST Types Of Smoke Alarms www.NaturalLandscapeDesign.com • Creative Landscape Design Solutions f On-Site Consultations Landscape Enhancement CALK (905) 949-9122 The Royal Bank Financial Group presents the Great Golf, Great Prizes... and a Great Feeling. (905) 815*8270 Fax (905) 815*8180