The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

PAGE 18, WHr!BY FRPIRESSI EDNESDAY, APRIL 10, 1991 Geaýring up for garclening sason This article is prouided by local reait ors and the Ontario Reazl Est ate Association (OREA) for thw benefit of consumera n the ical estate market. With spring just around the corner, many Ontario homo- owners are gearing up for the gardening season, busily planning their flower gardons. While many (f tWday's gardoning enthusiasta prefor Wo buy their, annuel or porennial flowers at a nursery or gardening store and transplant thein directly into the ground once the lest spring frost has passed (usually towards the end (f May), saine prefer Wo grow their own plants froin seeds. Growxng your own seedlings cen save you money and is aise an excellent project Wo beat the end-of.wvinter blehs. ltes samething the whole family can take part in and is an excellent opportunity for youngsters Wo leern how things grow. It takes roughly eight weeks (f growth before seedlings are reedy Wo be planted outaido. Sa if you'ro thinking (f starting your own flowers this year - you should start smon. Buy soed and growing medium Tfhe first stop, (f course, is Wo purchase seed froin a nursery or gadning sWore. When choosing, oumay want Wo consuit with nursery staff, W see which varietios would ho most likely Wo flourish in your particular sog 'oull aise want Wo purchase a sterilized growing medium for your seeds Wo germinate. Many (f these are available for purchase, including vermiculite, peat, perlite and saine prepared mitu esI' importent that the medium ho bacteria- and weed-free; most pre-peckaged rnediûms are. No matter what you choose, try Wo purchase a substance that will readily maintain moisture. If youlre unsure of what Wo buy, talk Wo the staff at your gardon centre or local nursery. Virtually any type (f édean container cen ho used for starting your seedings, as long as it's approxrnxately three iches deep and provides adequate drainage. You- may even want to purchase special trays or mini-greenihouses fo urgardening store. FreoU your containers approximatoly ono-haif tW trequarters filwit th subsace you've chosen as your medium. Tamp the mixture dlown firmly ta, make sure thero are no large air "paes. ~lien sow the seeds, keoping difféent varieties in separato containers. Sow the seeds about a ha]f-inch apart. Genorally, good-sized seeds should be covered with a very thin layer of the mediumn. Most srnall seeda don't need t o b covered. Howover, check the instructions on- your seed packages W o esure. Cuver tu germinate Once you've finished planting, sprinkle or miat the containers with water and cover, them with pieces (f ]plastic, glass -- or even cardboard (unless the package specifies -that they require light). This will help them maintain humidity. You can also cover thein with plastic bage, as long as you insert a stick or plastic straw t hold the bag upright and away froin the seeds -- creating a miniature tent. The containers should then ho plaoed in a bright area, but not near any direct sunlight,»and ho kept at, or above, room-levol tomporature during the day. Experts suggest leaving thom for anywhere fin three ta, fivo days; after than, start making periodic checks. Once germination has taken place, tiny leaves should appear. Once these leaves are visible, the covers should be removed so the sedflings can get oxygen. You should also movo thoin into sunlight to encourage steady growth. Be sure Wo turn them regularly, and water as roquired. Once they've developed a second set or their "true" leaves, or are about one inch tail, thoy'ro Wed o be transplated inW ,a rglrpotting mixture. SEE PAGE 19 THE FRAGRANCE of floue rs creates country, their white, purpie, pink and an extra dimension in the garden, and red blossoms wiil soon burst into hyacinths are one of the moot power- flower. If placed indoors, just a few fully scented bulb flowers.- Across the wil Il the house with their perfume. Soent ornates extra dimension The fragrance of flowers is délightful. Children often sniff a newly-picked flower W enjoy the fresh scent. Butterfiies and bees unerringly zoom in on those that produce nectar and pollen, by virtue of the flawers fragrance. In fact, the floral scent is actal a e sign of a highly deeoeecological cooperation hotween faunia and fora. Purthermore, many of the scenta that flower2s produce cannot even ho detected by hunians. When cornpared ,to the supremely developed sense (f smno hosssd y many insects, ours really is quite primitive. Scents have a particularly strong ability ta, trigger memories in us ail. Mayho that's why the fragrance of lilecs tekes us back Wo Grandma's verendeh. Honeysuckle, smre azaleas, lavondor, pink (Dianthus) and Daphne are aiea popular plants with a strong fragrance. The old favourite, lily-of-the-velley (Convellaria mgalis), derives a great deal of ita gardon value froin the divine fragrace that fills the shedowy spots where it grows. Many bulb flowers, tWo, exude a delightful perfume. Hyacinths probably are the best known of this group..Lilies alse have a strong fr-agrane. Both of ftheo eamily can fil a room with their scent;, outdoors they crate a swoet atmosphero that makos the gardon a mare pleasant place Wo work and pay. (A sina gladiolus or Gladiolus calianthus), with its distinctive, brown-tbroatod "haoney mark" in the contre of each white, blomemn smnos just as good as it*looks And Galtonia candlicans, a tal grawing bulbous plant, is called the suimmer hyacinth duo Wo its SEE PAGE 19 It' V .4= àtdor I ~*I 14