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C4 THE OAKVILLE BEAVER Factory Authorized e . . . S W I S S I N T E R I O R S 217 Lakeshore Rd. E. 8 4 4 -3 5 3 0 DOWNTOWN OAKVILLE SINCE 1953 www.toronto.com/swissinteriors Hours: Mon.-Thurs. 9:30-6 p.m., Fri. 9:30-9 p.m., Sat. 9:30-5 p.m. S t e r l in g Upholstering ltd. MSRP • Sofas • Loveseats • Derni-sofas • Chairs H and-tied W eb & Coil Canadian Quality L E D A ^ t/ / ^ TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA Entertainm ent Centres • Units • Desk/D esk Chairs Wednesdsay March 24, 1999 Homes & Gardens Outdoor projects can be easy as 1 -2-3 Homeowners and do-it-yourselfers who are planning to improve their yards this spring and sum­ mer will want to add Outdoor Projects 1-2-3 to their tool kit. It's The Home Depot's latest do-it-yourself reference guide and it's chockfull of practice advice from the home improvement experts at Home Depot. Just as the name implies, Outdoor Projects 1-2-3 contains helpful information for homeowners who are planning to tackle outdoor projects, ranging from building and repairing decks to constructing retaining walls, from installing fences to replacing concrete blocks, and from building outdoor furni­ ture to adding faucets and garden fountains. Regardless of the size and complexity of the task at hand, Outdoor Projects 1-2-3 includes step-by-step instructions and colourful illustrations to guide both novice and experience homeowners through pro­ jects from start to finish. Special features throughout the book call out noteworthy bits of information that will help home- owners save time and money, prevent costly mis­ takes, and avoid accidents and injuries. Some of these features include: • Skill Scale. Gives the skill level needed for spe­ cific projects. • Trip Saver. Includes tips on how to save hours of time going to and from the store. • Safety Alert. Alerts readers to potentially dan­ gerous situations. • Oops! Includes common mistakes homeowners make and solutions to fix them. Plant a garden Herbs provide the simplest of pleasures. Plucking a piece from a plant as you walk by releases a pungent waft of scent. Fresh leaves add a special burst of flavor to food which tastes even better because the herbs came from your own garden or window box. Garden centres are stocking a wider variety of herbs and seeds than ever before, so start­ ing your own herb garden is a snap. There are herbs that will do well in whatever space you have - sunny and dry, moist and shady, cool or warm locations, and most herbs will grow well in containers if you're gardening on a balcony or patio. Those annuals that do well in light shade and moist soil include: bergamot, sweet woodruff, angelica, mint and parsley. Most other herbs need at least six hours of sun­ light a day to grow well. If you have a sunny window, balcony or deck, you can grow herbs in almost any type of container pro­ vided it has drainage holes! There are sever­ al important points to keep in mind when growing plants in containers: first, use a pot­ ting mix rather than garden soil because it has been designed to hold water better and won't compact into a hard lump; second, be aware that the soil in containers will dry out much more quickly than the ground and so pots and hanging baskets need to be checked • Designer's Comer. Focuses on matters to con­ sider when making design and style choices. "The impetus behind Outdoor Projects 1-2-3 is to provide homeowners with accurate and useful information, so they can successfully complete great projects," said Ben Allen, executive editor and spokesperson for Outdoor Projects 1-2-3. "The Home Depot experts understand that in addition to tools and supplies, homeowners need information to guide them through their projects. This book con­ tains that information." Outdoor Projects 1-2-3 was modeled after Home Depot's first book entitled Home Improvement 1-2-3, which focused exclusively on indoor projects and has sold more than half-a-mil- lion copies in the past two years. Both books com­ bine the home improvement expertise of the editors at Better Homes and Gardens® Books and the pro­ ject know-how of The Home Depot employees. "What makes these home improvement books dif­ ferent from others is the unique way in which infor­ mation is gathered and presented," said Allen. "Because it is The Home Depot experts who inter­ act with the do-it-yourselfers, it was essential that we solicited employees for their feed back to find out exactly what information homeowners need and want. Each project featured in the book was then reviewed by Home Depot employees to ensure accuracy." Outdoor Projects 1-2-3 is a 480-page hardcover book is available at all Home Depot stores and wherever fine books are sold. for the senses every other day to see if more moisture is required and finally, because containers receive a lot of water, you should fertilize every two weeks to replace the nutrients that are constantly being washed away. There are three different types of herbs: those that are annuals and grow from seed each year - there are perennial herbs that overwinter in the garden and grow again each spring, and there are also tender peren­ nials that will not survive the winter in Ontario and need to be dug out of the ground in fall and brought indoors for the winter. Annuals grow from seed, flower and pro­ duce seed before they are killed by autumn frost. Once the plant has gone to seed, the cycle is over and the leaves toughen and wither. Some annuals are grown specifically for their seed such as caraway, coriander, and dill. However, if you are growing the plants in order to use their foliage, you should harvest the leaves long before the plant goes to seed; in fact, if flower buds form, they can be cut off. To extend the har­ vest of annual herbs, you can buy starter plants from a garden centre for an early har­ vest and then sow seeds in the ground during the summer T h is a rtic le w a s p ro v id e d by La n d s ca p e O n ta rio . Providing home comfort with: • furnaces • air conditioners • fireplaces • water heaters • natural gas* • assurance plans • service take comfort O m io n energy 'N o t available in all areas. $200C arrier off the purchase of an air 1 conditioner O ffe r ap p lies to C arrier a ir c o n d itio n e rs an d fu rn ac es av a ilab le fro m U n io n Energy. Purchase m u s t be m ade b e tw e en M a rch 15 an d A pril 11, 1999 . To take a d v a n ta g e o f th e co m b o o ffe r on th e a ir c o n d itio n e r and fu rn ac e purchase, products m u s t be purchased an d installed a t th e sam e tim e. C a n n o t be co m bined w ith an y o th e r p ro m o tio n a l offer. off the purchase of an air conditioner and furnace* Call for a free in-home estimate, (905) 469-0570 or 1-888-687-6871 S A V E $500 http://www.toronto.com/swissinteriors