PAGE 24, WEDNESDAY. JLJNE Il. 19R6i WHITBY FREE PRESS Young authors celebrated at book launching There was a book launching in Whitby last week for a new an- thoiogy of fantasy writing but it was a launch with a differen- ce. The authors being ceiebrated at the event were students af grade four and five at Colonel J.E. Farewell Publie School and the oc- cassion was the laun- ching of their book Flight into Fantasy. Parents, teachers, school board trustees and invited guests congregated in the schoal's auditorium on Wednesday afternoon ta celebrate Junior Author Day and the publication of the school's third book in as many years. With funding fromn the Ontario Arts -Cauncil and the Durham Board of Education,' ýthe.school hired author Barbara Greenwood last faîl ta conduct a writing workshop with the grade four and five students under the auspices of the Canada Council and its Creative Artists in School program. The program was established ta bring professional artists into the schools to provide. the students with an in- tensive, hands-on ex- perience under 'the guidance of a professionai. According ta school teacher- librarian Jean Free, Greenwood proved ta be everything the program promised, a dynamic and creative instructor whose love of writing created considerable enthusiasm among her young charges. Because the theme of the Farewell program was fantasy writing, Greenwood said studen- ts prepared for her visit by reading severai works of fantasy so they would be familiar with the form. The author said that at this stage in the students' deveiop- ment, the most impor- tant thing a teacher can do is impart a love of reading and if that much can be accom- piished ta write will foliow by osmosis. Once Greenwood arrived for the week long programn of daily sessions with the students, she said she began by breaking down the basic elernents of fantasy writing and the fact that it is ail based on magic. When the children understood the form, she then launched into the elements of writing as craft. > Just about any group can be motivated ta write well. It's just a matter of starting off right, " said Greenwood. "The students brought imagination ta, the classes, you just have ta show them how ta break through and express their imagination, You show them that a story has ta have a beginning, a middle and an end and you have to use in- teresting language. " Sessions with the students thraugh three basic stages: a motivation or brain- storming session; a presentation of specific information about the craft of writing; followed by a short writing session after which the students would read from their work and Greenwood would comment and of- hIhn &* A I *.fe E CIE -c r Give gardens'an "'uncomnion"9 appeal1 GIEDAD A BREAK 5HIREA GARDENERE 725300 Make your garden the envy of the neighborhood by ad- ding some out-of-the-ordinary fiowering plants. "In many cases, these rather obscure plants are simply *unknown ta the average gardener, who is un- wiiing ta rîsk disaster by choosing unfamiliar plants," says Horticuiturist Bob Hamersma of the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food's Horticuiturat Research Institute of Ontario, Vineiand. f or alyourgardening needs We Have A Large Variai>, 0f Quality 1Plants St iii A vailuble Impatients Petunlas Marlgolds and many others Corne In and Browse through aur Greenhouses. DON'T MISS OUR- DAILY SPECIALS Ail of aur Geranlums are now on sale The 4" Hybrld Geranlums are only 75" per plant At the same time, those gardeners who do seek the unusual, may be unabfe ta find them in garden outiets because the demand simpiy is not there. 'Gleaning them from ac- commodating friends or growing them from seed or fram cuttings <or divisions in the case of herbaceous peren- niais) may be the oniy alter- natives available", Hamersma says. But whatever the source, the following unconventional flowering plants shouid give this year's garden an 'un- common" appeai. Pasque-fiower (Pulsatilla vu Igaris) is a ha rdy perennial1 which displays showy rich violet cup-shaped flowers in eariy April and May. It dispiays furry fern-like foliage and is easily grown from seed. Heartieaf Bergenia or <Bergeffia ('<rdiitlm k also very hardv and grows wett in semî-shaded locations. It blooms earty in spring with a showy head îif waxy. beii-iike blooms on a stoiut flower stalk. Since its leaves are semi-evergreen. the plant is a showpiece year-round. Other interesting !and unusualh perenotials include purpie coneflower (Echinacea pîîrpîîrv'u ) ith showy purplîsh ltt-centimetre daisy-like blooms in August: and cardinal flower (Lobetia cardinolis). a native plant that exhibits extremetv bright scarlet florets atong tait siender stems in mid- summer. But please note that car- dinal' flower does require moist soit. Hamersma says. Unusuai annual flowering plants can be used very effec- tively in the garden as wett. Mexican sunflower <Tithonia rot îîndifolia> for ex- ample. can grow ta a height of 1.5 ýmetres. making it suitable for tha back of a border. It brightans its surroun- dings with showNy orange- scartet blooms starting in mid-July. A shorter. but no less showy plant is realycup sage <or Salvia îorinacea). It proi- vides a summar-iong display of violet-blua spikas and grows lu 5<) cm in height. As a (iimpa('t plant Il i tt trn ofuî u a hborder'. the globeuî unitorrn bal shape and rich., purpie btuuîîrs is dva) T<he gloibe ainarantli is alsi suitahie tfor dried-fliiwvîr ar rangements t reteping /.utiill i t'0 " i fine hanging basket or win- dow box plant The vines hang over the edge and are covered with small golden orange zinnia- lika bloomüs with black cen- tres, Creeping zinnia also tolerates dry. hot conditions. If you wish ta create an in- format effeet in the garden. try California po'ppies <Eschschotzia californica>. These are available in a wide range of pastel colors which together witli its bluish foliaga create a soft color ef- fect. Thesa plants also "self- sead': readily s0 you may have more <han one year ta enjoy tham. Many ' lessar-known an- nuals have reiatively short blooming pariods, lasting from thrae ta six weeks, depending on the cultivar. 1Sa, take this into considera- tion when planning the garden and choose ap- propriate flowering plants ta fil] up the remaining time. '..'. A* .ê.t, iI,, ê, i*#*41* 4 t4 t4 s qtêii~ *4 4 44itI i& 4* , ..$. fer Librarian students couragéd and ask suggestions. Free said were en- ta com ment questions at SEE PG. 37 ( RESIDENTIAL & COMMERCIAL FOR A REAL PROFESSIONAL SHOWING "Let (lhe <;rmss-nrpers PHONE WE (REMOVE GRASS CLIPPINGS 0% STARTING WTH THREE SU O ýV lR 5,000 SQUARE SIX MONTHS FOOT LAWNS ,SERVICE, S1O ReaidentWa - Commercial - industrial " CONStILTING & TREAIMENT 0F TREE AILMENTS IN URBAN PLANTINGS " PEST & DISEASE CONTROL MICROJECT TREATMENT " FOLIAR & ROOT FEEDING TREATMENTS UECDOSTICIDE AUTO UECDNESTOOREES - m. f NOLDUS 0F DURHAM Associnied wffh G. L (N.) Faim à Foresi Reseaoh Lid. LADSCAPt ONTARIO 9