HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1994-05-11, Page 12PAGE 12. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, MAY 11,1994.
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Home and Garden ’94
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Creative reflections
Terry Funk of RR3 Blyth has opened a new business
which specializes in cement crafts ranging from a tiny blue
jay to a life-size stallion for the gateway. Along with new
items, Terry also repairs old cement pieces and will create
a functional lily pond or fountain. His mother Lois, helps out
with the painting of the crafts.
New business brings
colour to landscapes
By Janice Becker
As the gardening season
approaches, thoughts often turn to
outdoor pleasures and beautifying
the lawn.
However, even before the crocus
es and daffodils poke their brightly
coloured heads through the warm
ing soil, there is something which
can add colour to your yard.
Lawn ornaments in every de
scription, from tiny blue jays and
orioles to gnomes, mushrooms,
dogs, cats, deer and fountains can
add a touch of whimsy or sophisti
cation.
Country Cement Crafts at RR3
Blyth, is a recently opened business
which deals in made-to-order
pieces as well as repairing and
refurbishing those which have been
decorating lawns for years.
Proprietor Terry Funk has been
in the business for several months,
previously displaying his items at
the flea market in Wingham.
Terry says, "I have two suppliers
of the cement pieces so I am able to
find just about anything a customer
may want. The selection is 2-3,000
now but I am still looking for some
which are not available."
"Our biggest seller is the birds,"
says Terry, "because they can be
put anywhere."
Terry receives the cement crafts
just out of the mold and he prepares
them for retail by grinding, patch
ing and painting.
Terry's mother Lois helps out
with the painting. She says each
animal piece is done to resemble
reality as closely as possible.
"We can replicate the family cat
or dog or paint a gnome to match
your house. Each piece is an origi
nal and we have over 800 colours
to chose from," says Terry.
Ready-to-go stock items are also
available in the showroom.
Terry says ordered items can be
ready within a week if the cement
mold received from the company
has already been cured. If not, the
cement takes months to cure prop
erly so the paint will adhere.
At present, Terry says he is just
waiting to see what the interest in
the items will be, but hopes to
expand into creating entire garden
settings including fountains and lily
ponds.
Many of the items available
through Country Cement Crafts are
on display on the lawns surround
ing the showroom.
Gift certificates can be purchased
for those whose tastes you’re not
quite sure of and delivery is avail
able for large items.
Plant industry sees changes
By John Hughes, OMAFRA
Horticultural Crop Advisor
There have been a lot of changes
in Ontario's bedding plant industry
over the past few years. Gone are
the days of broadcast seeding and
bare-root seedling transplants,
individuals transplanting single
flats and up to 72 plants in a single
flat.
Ontario's bedding plant growers
"evolved" from the fruit and
vegetable transplant/market
gardeners nearby large urban
centres and in 1994 will produce
"Spring flowering/vegetable plants"
i.e. bedding plants with a farm gate
value over $50 million.
It has become a big business in
Ontario with large capital
investments in greenhouses,
heating/irrigation systems, soil
handling-flat filling equipment,
precision direct seeders, sweat and
germination facilities plus the
racked carts needed for rapid
transport from the greenhouse to
the sales location. We are just
getting a "glimpse" of the
automatic transplanters that are
being used extensively in Europe
and cost in the neighbourhood of
$100,000.
Probably the single most
significant change has been in
"plugs" - the precise seeding of an
individual seed into a small cavity
and its development as a singulated
plantlet. These "plugs" are typically
grown for four - seven weeks in a
plug flat (10" x 22") containing
about 400 - 500 individual plants.
Then they are rapidly transplanted
into the finishing flats that contain
12 paks.
For the consumer, the new
growing system gives a shorter,
stockier plant with many more
sideshoots and therefore potential
flower sites. For the grower, the
plug system gives them a plant that
is less prone to stretch, it
transplants easier and suffers
essentially no transplant shock.
Plugs can also be "held" longer in
their plug sheets with few
problems.
A major advantage to growers is
the reduced crop time from
transplant to shipping. I would
guess that in the last 10 years, new
production technology has reduced
total crop time by four weeks! A
major savings for all involved.
I mentioned earlier the number of
plants being reduced from a
standard 72 per flat to 48. As a
consumer, you are getting much
heavier, better branched plants with
a full root system that will take-off
much faster. In Ontario, we have a
relatively short growing season so
it's important to purchase this type
of plant in order to get the most out
of them. You will also observe
individual plants grown in a 3.5" -
4" diameter pot...these are what we
call instant colour plants for the
impatient gardener!
Speaking of impatient, the
impatiens plant has become the
number one seller of all annuals,
replacing the petunia about three
years ago. Keep a look out this
spring for the new vegetatively
propagated petunias that have a
trailing growth habit and do
wonderfully well in large hanging
baskets and window boxes. They
originated in Germany and are
available for the first time in
Ontario this spring.
Lawij Master
NURSERY
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