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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2001-10-17, Page 17Call PAUL COOK ELECTRIC for all your HOME, FARM & COMMERCIAL WIRING Then rest assured the job's done right Belgrave 357-1537 - Mobile - Paging - Horse Tack and Supplies - - Fonda Engines - Industrial and Farm Supplies - - Safety Supplies RENT IT AND SAVE! Everything for the do-it-yourselfer and the professional contractor OPEN: MONDAY TO FRIDAY 8 A.M. - 5:30 P.M. SATURDAYS 8 A.M. - 2 P.M. CENTRAL RENTAL & SUPPLY LTD. 26 Isaac St. Manager Clinton Bill Crawford (519) 482-7930 "We're always adding new equipment - phone for your needs" McDonald's Home Hardware has everything you'll need for your building projects • Lumber • Plywood • Decking Materials • Insulation • Interior -& Exterior Doors • Windows plus - kitchen cabinets, plumbing & electrical supplies, paint, carpet & flooring .1 IDASHWOOCT WINDOW AND DOOR CENTRE McDonald Home Hardware & Building Supplies Brussels 887-6277. 1-800-881-0030 ea& O'r " aftft4ell-411-ewe BARB'S UPHOLSTERY Londesboro 523-4751 7 CRAFTSMANSHIP We specialize in the reuphogtery of antique furniture and accessories • Free Estimates THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 17. 2001. PAGE 17 1.. Home & Garden 2001 Plant now to enjoy owering bulbs in spring If you haven't planted your fall bulbs, wait no longer. Now is the best time to start planning your gar- den for next spring and summer. Whether you have a small or large garden, expert and novice gardeners agree that flowering bulbs should play a large part in your planning and planting. Especially this year, since gardeners around the world are celebrating "Tulip 400," marking four centuries of tulip cultivation in the Netherlands. By now, your local garden centre has a full supply of flowering spring bulbs in stock. The most common of these include tulips, daffodils, cro- cus, hyacinths, album, snow drops, galanthus, fritillaria, some iris, mus- card, narcissus and scilla. space by breaking it up with a pitch- The best time to plant is from fork, Make sure the soil is loose, rich October through the end of and porous. Add some sand or perlite November, when the weather is cool. if your soil contains too much humus Bulbs planted when there could still and tends to stay wet, or improve the be prolonged periods of warmer quality of your old, parched soil with weather may rot. (Especially tulips, topsoil and peat moss. The same care which should be planted just before should be taken for bulbs being the ground freezes.) planted beneath the turf. Planting bulbs in the lawn is a pop- Keep in mind that bulbs root ular way of achieving a woodland downwards; the quality of the soil effect. Plant bulbs like crocuses, beneath them is more important than snow drops and narcissi, since they that of the soil above them. Roots flower before the grass .grows, require phosphorus for successful making them safe from your lawn- growth and it is important to mix. mower, some into the bottom of the hole for • Considering that bulbs will stay in easy access to the roots. your soil for a few years to come, it's' Phosphorus is the middle number a good idea to prepare the growing of the three numbers on all fertilizer bags. Higher phosphorus is available plant them 10 to 15 centimetres in in bonemeal, super phosphate or the ground and about 20 centimetres "bulb food" widely available with apart. Although the task of planting bulbs. bulbs is a little hard on the knees, use When planting your bulbs, the tools such as bulb planters to make general rule of green thumb is to the work less strenuous. Grow herbs at home If your experience with herbs has been limited to shaking a few flakes of dried oregano out of a jar, there's a whole world of enjoyment and sat- isfaction you can explore right in your own kitchen. Most herbs, including culinary (for cooking), fragrance and medicinal types, will thrive indoors in a sunny window, under fluorescent lights, or using a combination of both. Your own windowsill herb garden can supply the precious ingredients for exciting recipes, healthful herbal teas, natural, gentle cosmetics and fragrant sachets and potpourri to use at home or as thoughful gifts. Herbs are easy, inexpensive and truly rewarding to grow at home. Here's how: •What kinds to choose: Herbs are available at garden cen- tres as seeds or started transplants. Generally speaking, herbs are either annuals, which grow for a season or two and die, or perennials, which can live for many years and become quite large. Sweet bay, for example, the secret to savory soups and stews, will grow into a medium-sized tree indoors. Other familiar culinary herbs include annuals such as basil, coriander, dill and parsley, as well as perennials such as marjoram, oregano, rose- mary, sage and thyme. You also can grow catnip, a peren- nial, for a nerve-soothing tea and contented housecats. Lavender, lemon verbena, and scented gerani- ums are all long-lived perennials that will lend their heady aromas to herbal bathwaters, sachets and pot- pourris. Lovage, a hardy perennial that can reach six feet indoors, has long been used to make natural mouthwashes, while both spearmint and peppermint are said to be effective against headaches and indigestion. • How to grow herbs indoors: Whether you start herbs from seed or transplants, grow them in a light mix of potting soil with some sand or vermiculite added for good drainage. Perennial herb seed can be started in shallow pans or flats and trans- planted to individual four-inch pots when the plants are a couple of inch- es tall. Annual herbs like -parsley, dill, coriander- and caraway don't trans- plant well and should be sown in the container in which they will remain. Keep seeded containers in a warm spot and uniformly moist until the seeds sprout, then move them into a sunny spot. If natural light is insuffi- cient (at least four hours of sun per day) supplement it with fluorescent "grow lights." Plants growing in strong light need regular watering and feeding with a good liquid fertil- izer. Using this combination, you can produce a surprisingly large harvest indoors. • Enjoying the harvest: As a general rule, you may harvest herbs gradually, snipping off a cou- ple of inches as needed, but never removing more than about a third of the total plant. Some herbs, especially if grown for seed (dill, is one example) might be allowed to mature, then harvested and used whole. • Herbal vinegars: Use these to add zest to a salad, as a bracing facial splash, or natural after-shampoo conditioner.. Begin by combining either white or red wine vinegars and your favorite herbs. Some chefs like to let the herbs steep in the vinegar for a few weeks, and then drain and rebot- tle, but this is not strictly necessary. For added flavor and decorative appeal, you can add garlic cloves, olives, jalapeno peppers, or pimento on wooden skewers. Try a few different food colourings for variety, and use clear, clean glass bottles. Fancy liquor and wine bot- tles with corks are perfect. Herb vinegars make lovely, thoughtful housewarming gifts that soon become a favorite kitchen item. • Potpourris and sachets: Recipes for these generally call for the addition of scented oils. It's pos- sible to make your own, but you, would probably need more herbs than you can practically grow indoors. Scented oils, along with powdered orris root, a fixative,' are available at' crafts stores, along with other dried items, like rose petals, that you can use along with your own herbs to make personal potpourri combina- tions. . Choose a combination you like - - say, lavender, rosemary and scented geranium — crumble the ingredients together, and add about a half ounce of the fixative and a few drops of scented oil to every three to four cups of herbs or flower petals. Seal the mixture up in tightly covered jars for a few weeks while the scent blends and fixes, then use uncovered in baskets, jars or sewn up into sachets. • Enhancing home-cooked meals: With herbs at your fingertips in the kitchen, you'll discover creative cooking impulses you' never knew you had. Herbs can turn ordinary foods into gourmet treats, and they're a great way to add flavor and excitement to salt-free diets. Use your windowsill herbs in sal- ads, soups and stews, pasta sauces, omelettes, stuffings, rice and vegeta- bles. Remember that fresh herbs, though more flavorful than dried, are less strong, so where a recipe calls for, say, a teaspoon of dried herbs, double that amount when using fresh herbs. And after that fabulous meal, chewing a • sprig of fresh parsley makes the world's best natural breath freshener. Kitchen herbs add excitement and originality to recipes, potpourri, and herbal vinegars to spice up a salad or give as a thoughtful gift. Grow herbs in a sunny window, provide plenty of moisture and feed regularly with a good water soluble plant food. Harvest up to a third of the plant at a time, by snipping off what you need with a pair of sharp scissors. an ;te ns be :st is Mr.