HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2002-05-08, Page 19en
Tools and tips
to garden pain-free
(NC)—According to Statistics
Canada, gardening and yard work
is Canadians' second favourite
form of physical activity — second
only to walking.
But like any form of exercise,
gardening can bring on aches and
pains if not performed with care.
The good news: the phrase "no
pain, no gain" doesn't have to apply
to your time in the garden.
Here are some tools and tips to
consider that will help make your
gardening strain-free.
• Invest in a good wheelbarrow or
similar device that will allow you to
move soil and plants without heavy
lifting.
• Look for tools with
ergonomically designed handles,
which also adjust to fit both male
and female hand sizes.
• Remember when buying
shovels, rakes and similar
implements to choose those that
match your height — buying them
too tall or short will make them
harder to use and increase muscle
stress.
• Invest in knee pads — a must-
have if you spend a lot of time
planting.
- News Canada
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THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, MAY 8, 2002. PAGE 19.
(NC)—Garden ponds are exploding
in popularity, and with the wide
variety of do-it-yourself kits
available these days, it's unlikely to
stop any time soon.
If you want your pond to last,
there's a simple installation process
that you can follow to make it
happen.
First, make sure you've got all the
supplies you need. This includes: a
spade, an edger, a level, sand or fine
soil, a garden hose, a wheelbarrow
and, of course, work gloves.
Next, select a location that gets
four to six hours of sunlight per day.
Most pond plants prefer this amount
of light. Place the pond in your
chosen location, and mark out its
perimeter with an edger or flat
shovel.
Dig out an area that's slightly
wider and deeper than your pond.
Remove all stones and roots so as
not to puncture or warp your
investment. Cover the bottom of the
hole with a thin layer of sand, and
place the pond inside.
Level the pond in all directions,
then start filling it with water. Be
sure that your pond is at least
partially full before you backfill.
This will ensure that the walls don't
warp or bend.
Also, you should check the level
often, as your pond is likely to shift
during backfilling.
Finally, place flat rocks along the
edges of your masterpiece. You can
now add plants, fish, a waterfall,
lights or other decorations to your
liking.
If you're certain that your pond is
level, and have avoided warping or
otherwise damaging its walls, you
can be sure that your pond will be
around for a long, long time.
- News Canada
Do-it-yourself kits
for garden ponds
Low maintenance
The pond at Rick and Anne Elliott's requires little maintenance beyond the spring cleaning and
some propogating of plant life. (Bonnie Gropp photo)
Mature plants give early effect
Continued from page 18
for the beds around the pond, they
left most of the work to the
landscaper. "When you do all the
work yourself there is a tendency to
go to the same plants all the time.
The nice part about having someone
else do it, is it gives you ideas that
perhaps you might not have tried.
The benefit is a lot of different
textures and colours."
He advised a lot of ground cover
and that they buy mature plants, says
Anne. "They survive better and you
get the effect much faster."
In the fall, they added bulbs to the
beds for year-round colour.
The beds are also decorated with
garden art from Steve Jenkins of
Bayfield.
The low-maintenance of the beds
is helped by a dense layer of cedar
mulch to cut down on weed growth.
"People think it's a problem because
you have to do this every year, but it
saves so much work throughout the
summer."
As for the cost of paying someone
rather than doing the job yourself
Anne feels it was worth it.
"Definitely get an estimate, but for
our situation it was easier. He had
the design expertise and made it look
natural, not just plunked in. It fits the
landscape. "
Anne says too, that she thinks it
has been good for her children,
Heather and Jeffrey.
"They've had a lot of fun
participating' (in the project). And
they enjoy the fish." The natural
aesthetism is one that 'las offered the
family a haven at the end of a busy
day.
"It is very tranquil."
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