30 - The Oakville Beaver, Friday March 23, 2007 www.oakvillebeaver.com Spring HOME & GARDEN Tired of the clutter? Give your mudroom a makeover With the hustle and bustle of daily life, a mudroom can quickly accumulate unnecessary clutter. Luckily, it's easy to keep your frustrations from piling up. With a few easy tips you can make the most out of your mudroom. Keep it Clean After a long day, it's easy to drop belongings at the door, which can quickly add up to a big mess. Add a multitiered coat rack and umbrella holder to keep coats and bags off the floor while providing a place for umbrellas to dry. Contain the clutter by adding storage cabinets. Manufacturers offer a variety of decorative cabinets and shelves in many different finishes to meet your storage and décor needs. Plus, by keeping storage vertical, you can add extra space. Label or color-code the shelves for each family member to keep organized and reduce the risk of misplaced items. Get Functional Rethink your utility sink and remember you can be functional and fashionable. Replace the utility tub with a more decorative sink. Then, add a pullout faucet in a Chrome or Stainless finish, for added style appeal and functionality. Pullout faucets can help tackle the messiest of jobs, like washing the dog, rinsing mud from boots or cleaning up after an art project all with the bonus of eye-catching design. Hang a dry erase or chalk message board and key ring next to the door. The message board will keep everyone on the same page when it comes to remembering important things, like returning movies or club meetings; while the hooks will keep your keys easily accessible. A Personal Touch Adding personal touches can make a mudroom feel cozier. Hang a decorative mirror to make the room seem larger and allow you to do a final inspection on hair and make-up before heading out. Place an indoor/outdoor decorative rug near the door to add some color and texture to the room, while also trapping dirt and dampness. Finally, add some decorative baskets which are both flattering and functional in a mudroom. These accessories create a warm decorative feel and work wonders to store a variety of items. With just a few changes, you can eliminate the mess from your mudroom and transform it into a useful and well-organized room. - News Canada AarcD28Y IN M L h Ath F d. We t! 't Miss Ou Don plus We Pay the Tax on our Floors! hardwood · laminate · carpet ceramic · area rugs & more Colourful blooms for Spring and Summer If planting hot-weather bedding plants like marigolds and petunias is getting tiresome, consider the following Spring and Summer flower recommendations to add more variety all season long: Perennial power. Perennial plants are the backbone of the flower garden because they last throughout the seasons. Some plants are short-lived, but old favorites like daylilies, hostas and peonies can thrive for decades and keep the garden looking lively. That's the balm. Bee balm flowers come in fuzzy clusters of two to four feet high plants in red, pink, white or lavender. This flower flourishes in moist, welldrained soil, in mostly sunny conditions. Golden. Black-eyed Susan's come in several varieties and can radiate bright golden blooms all Summer long. This low maintenance flower can survive in average soil conditions and is tolerant of drought. Consider Croci. Crocus is a plant that is most popular in bulb gardens across Canada. There are both Spring and Fall blooming crocus varieties that can enhance gardens when other plants are long gone. This plant likes well drained soil and is most often found in the sunny locations. Purple haze. Purple coneflowers feature pinkish droopy petals that surround dome-like centres. Since the flower can stand to heights of five-feet tall, it is recommended to tuck this perennial behind lower growing plants. Sunflower tower. Summer and sunflowers go hand-in-hand. The sunflower requires rich soil and is valuable for forming a background screen, capable of reaching heights of eight to 12 feet high. When planting this flower, bear in mind their rapid growth could cause area competition with other garden plants. Weeds be gone. Weeds are a nuisance for all plants in the garden. Getting on top of the weeding early translates to a lot less work later. Weeds are easier to pull out while their roots are still shallow in the Spring. - News Canada or You Pay NOTHING for18 months! Toronto Eglinton & Laird (southeast corner) 416-467-7072 * Call 1-800-268-5132 for FREE In-home service Barrie 42 Caplan Ave. (Hwy. #400 & Mapleview Dr.) 705-733-3359 Toronto 23 Kodiak Crescent (Sheppard & Allen Road) 416-636-6464 Newmarket www.GiantCarpet.com Mississauga / Oakville Dundas & Hwy. #403 (west of Winston Churchill) 905-828-9755 17940 Yonge St. (north of Upper Canada Mall) 905-836-0725 Markham Hwy. #7 & McCowan Rd. (behind McDonald's) 905-513-6239 Burlington QEW & Guelph Line (behind Home Depot) 905-336-9173 London 4380 Wellington Rd. South (Closed Sunday) 519-681-1528 Whitby / Oshawa Thickson Road Power Ctr. (401 & Thickson Road) 905-720-9960 Mississauga / Brampton Heartland Town Centre (Mavis & Britannia) 905-361-1046 Hamilton 1441 Upper James (next to The Brick) 905-318-8679 Ottawa 350 West Hunt Club Rd. (near Merivale Rd.) 613-723-1555 STORE HOURS: Mon.-Fri. 9-9; Sat. 9-6; Sun. 11-5 *Tax & financing promotion on selected installed goods only. Prior orders exempt. No tax offer refers to an equivalent to the GST being deducted from purchase. Offers cannot be combined. Installed prices refer to basic installation on flat surfaces; additional costs may apply. Financing O.A.C., minimum purchase $899. Deferred financed amount due 18 from date of purchase. Same as cash financed amount due 12 months from date of purchase. Interest accrues from date of purchase and will be waived if purchase amount is paid in full by the plan expiration date. If not, interest will be charged at a rate of 28.9% per annum as per agreement. $55 processing fee due at time of purchase. Limited time offer. Photos may not depict exact style or colour of product. See store for details.