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The Citizen, 2004-05-06, Page 20Bring beauty inside • Renovations • New Homes • Sales & Installation of Windows & Doors e e Or Pre-Season Service* $10.00 Off a Clean and Check Before the weather starts heating up, cool off with a Dave Lennox Signature'" home comfort system—and cash in on big savings! Lennox° home comfort systems are designed to deliver home comfort efficiently and economically—not only as individual products, but also as a total system solution. So if you're planning to install ne/v home heating and cooling products, you may also want to consider comfort controls and indoor air-quality products. Combining these products in one system is the easy way to cool off and cash in. MONTGOMERY'S (COMFORT CENTRE Ltd. Montgomery's Comfort Centre Ltd. Wing ham and Port Elgin www.comfortcentre.com 357-4300 832-2026 Call us today to ask about these great deals! rr Up to a $1000 Rebate* r I Or Extended Warm I ly* Up to 10 Years Parts and Labv 1 S. With purchase of select Lennox home products Otter expires May 31. 2004 0 2004 Lennox Industries, Inc. *See your participating Lennox dealer for details. Lennox dealers include independently owned and operated businesses. One offer available per Qualifying purchase. Specific Extended Warranty coverage options and certain exclusions are stated in the CompleteCare Plus" Warranty Certificate and Customer Application. EMEEril Service offer applies to new customers only. A better place' LENNOX NOME C01.11,01I111,61.115 PAGE 20. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MAY 6, 2004. Tight quarters call for container gardening (MS) Home improvement chores can give your body a workout. From raking leaves to mowing the lawn to planting flowers, you'll spend many hours bending over on your hands and knees. But trimming the edge of a lawn doesn't have to be hack-breaking work. Homeowners can avoid this work by choosing maintenance-free edging materials where a lawn borders trees, flower beds. fences and foundations. The proper edging materials can also knock hours off the typical homeowner's yardwork during the spring and summer months. "Although string trimmers are easier than bending down with grass shears, letting the lawn mower cut that grass is even easier," says Jeremy Powers, a writer for national home and how-to publications. "Meticulous gardeners may spend nearly as much time with a trimmer as they do with the mower." A distinct edge that can be mowed over without ruining the edging or • the mower blade is the easiest way to keep the lawn looking good without extra work. Plastic edging meets these criteria, but requires digging and trenching to install. "Many plastic lawn edgings eventually work themselves out of the ground. Not only does this look terrible. hut mowing over the loose to small spaces with container The answer is easy — container gardening. With container gardening, you're bound only by your imagination. It's edging becomes virtually impossible," Powers says. A variety of wood products also offer mower-friendly options for edging if they are installed properly. However, even redwood and cedar lumber will rot over time where there is ground contact unless treated with a preservative. "Green-treated lumber can look too industrial for some people." Powers says. Brick or stone can ruin a mower blade or even the mower engine. So if it's used, make sure it is smooth on top and wide enough for the mower wheels to ride on. "If edging material won't allow great for apartnient dwellers. gardeners with small yards or gardeners who arc currently renting a home. It's also ideal for people who want to experiment with different flowers and plants. Another plus to container gardening is its versatility. If you don't like where you've put your "garden," just pick it up and move it. Potted plants look great in groups so try arranging them in a variety of ways and again, if you don't, like the arrangement. change it. To start. find. . some unique containers. Be creative — look beyond the basic flowerpot. Wooden barrels, old wheelbarrows or -interesting antiques can house a garden. Don't forget about window boxes and hanging baskets. Be sure your containers have drainage holes in the bdttom. If they don't, drill a few. Next. fill your -container with a quality sterile potting soil within an inch of the rim. Now it is time to add your plants. One of the greatest joys of container gardening is that you can try different plants and flowers without a lot of cost. Are there some bulbs or perennials you've always wanted to plant, but weren't too sure they'd do well where you live? With container gardening, you can purchase a couple at a time and give them a try. PlaCe your newly-planted containers in a location that provides proper lighting for your plants and don't forget to water them. This is where most mistakes are -made in plant care — too much or too little water brings disaster. You should water plants when soil feels dry below the surface. To keep containerized plants healthy, always fertilize you to run the mower over it, choose a product with a shape that minimizes trimming. Any edging with little nooks and crannies, like odd-shaped stones; will make the trimming job much more time- consuming." Powers says. The base of trees is one of the most common yard areas trimmed with "weed whips." Together. string trimmers and mowers are responsible for most of the trees that • die after planting because of damage to the bark. Unfortunately, there aren't many products for edging around individual trees, particularly younger trees that have the most fragile bark. Bring beautiful gardens gardens. (MS photo) (MS) — Spring is in the air and as a gardener, you can't wait to get out there and plant. What do you do if you don't have a yard? Make yardwork easier GAVIN'S them. MODERN COMPLETE ON-LOCATION CLEANING •Upholstery •Carpet DISASTER RESTORATION 24 HOUR EMERGENCY SERVICE •Smoke *Fire •Deodorization • 'Flood Clean-Up & Drying "Serving Huron County' For Over 20 Years" Cleaning & Restoration Services 524-2440 or 1-800-450-4333 No Phone Solicitation