Clinton News-Record, 1980-04-17, Page 43zt
Young adults today have
greater freedom of choice,.
more expendable income
and fewer cultural restraints
than any previous
generation. More than ever
before, young adults are
doing what they want to do
with their time and money,
enjoying life today rather
than being preoccupied with
tomorrow.
To their credit, most young
adults are not dissipating
themselves in the pursuit of
pleasure. On the contrary,
'they are enjoying while
employing a great variety of
'"'► recreational sports to stay in
good physical condition.
Gardening is the hobby
most valued by young adults
for a change of pace from the
strenuous life. And it
provides a community of
interest between the go-go
-� events ,.,azul_.t,lle, _gLde-i .:
young adults who avoid
•
discos, ski slopes and singles
V 'Diets ate bars. Young adults are par -
The African violet fancier
of this decade is - not
necessarily a sweet little old
lady. You can find a patented
violet blooming on the desk
of businessmen, the shelves
of college students as well ash/
the coffee table of the
average middleAmerican.
Interest in blooming plants
is definitely on the increase.
Few blooming plants move
as comfortably from the
flower shop or greenhouse to
the home environment as
does the African violet.
Breeding this adaptable
species is a fine and com-
plicated art. Careful
selection and years of study
go into breeding of superior
varieties. The modern
African violet often wears a
patent tag, attesting to the
careful and costly work
which has gone into its
development.
The German breeder-,
Arnold Fischer, has devoted
much of his professional
career to the hybridizing of
this important species.
Ballet violets, developed by
Fischer and exclusively
produced by the Pan-
American Plant Company,
have been bred to take the
work out of, African violet
culture.
Each new introduction has
been rigorously tested to
determine its bloom size,
clarity of color, ability to
rebloom quickly and hold its
blooms high above the
leaves. Each new in-
troduction must be disease
tolerant, profuse- in flower
and have attractive foliage.
This year three new Ballet
violets join the existing 19
varieties currently available
to the plant purchaser. Each
has undergone the rigorous
research demanded before
its worth as a patented violet
with the Ballet trademark
could be assured.
'Juli.a;'Jackie' -an-d
'Grace' are Fischer's
choices for his three new
crown jewels. 'Julia,' a blue
and white bicolor provides
stiong notes of con•trast,,.
against the deep foliage
'Jackie' bears deep purple
flowers well above the leaves
and produces flowers of
exceptionally large size.
'Grace' is a profuse
blooriming, sky-blue variety.
Pan-American Plant
Company offersa few simple
cultural tips to buyers of
their violets. Anyone can
really grow an African violet
and keep it blooming if:
+ Plants are watered
thoroughly when soil feels__.
dry to the touch.
+ Correct lighting is
maintained. If leaves remain
horizontal, lighting, is right.
Too little light and leaves
will stretch vertically. Too
much and they will curl
around the pot.
•
-I- Plants are fertilized
every other watering in
spring and summer, every
fourth -'watering in fall and
winter.
-'-1- High humidity is
maintained. Place violets on
a tray of wet sand or gravel.
Do not let plants stand in
water.
+ Use containers with
drainage holes, and a soil
with good drainage
properties.
ticularly attracted to
vegetable and flower gar-
dening, not because their
parents or grandparents
gardened, but because
gardening makes sense.
Growing their own food
makes them feel self-
sufficient,- less dependent on
the intricate food delivery
chain from commercial
growers to supermarkets.
Growing their own provides
fresh food that is healthful,
with no unknown additives;
lts
the surplus can easily be
frozen or canned.
Typically, young adults
progress from growing
houseplants to gardening in
larger containers to a shared
plat or community gardep.
Some move on to rented or
purchased homes with
backyard garden space.
With- most, the progression
parallelsthe.development of
long-term relationships with
others.
One day, without') being
aware of a decision having
been made, the young adult
or couple realizes that
gardening has transcended
the status of a hobby and has
become a lifestyle of itself.
The freeing* of , men .and
women from, stereotyped
gender and age -level roles
made it possible for more
people to truly enjoy gar-
dening. Victorian standards
relegated flower gardening
to women and assigned a
rube or hayseed status to
city vegetable growers,
Sen,.lble people a ignored
these stigmas and, later put
Remove Spent Blooms
To keep your annuals at
their flowering best, be sure
• to • remove dead, flowers
regularly. Most annuals will
not produce new flower buds
if the old flowers are allowed
to set seed.
down. the destructive
"Macho" role that made
men feel guilty if they in,
dullged in gentler hobbies.
Young men and women
now enjoy gardening fully,
probably far more than some
older gardeners, who can't
drop their competitiveness
or forget cohzpulsions that
were formed during hard
times. They see gardening as
the ultimate creative'
recreation. They bask in the
vibrations that come from
person -plant relationships
and in the good feeling of
providing ' food for oneself
and -friends. Gardening is a
good life that demands little
and returns much.
COLEUS -(UNIQUE PLANT FOR PARTIAL SUN OR ,A,D. E
SHAPE
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117
VARIETY
Rainbow
Saber
Carefree
Dragon
Fill
Wizard -
LEAF TYPE
Large
Small,
tapered
Small,
deeply lobed
Large,
moderately
lobed
Large.
Lar
hear
shaped.
shaped.
HABIT
Vigorous
growth
Base-
branching'
Slow to
flower
Dwarf, sell- ,
branching
Very bushy
Vigorous.
erect
Bushy and
eryect
Base -
branching.
-compact
USES
Packs, pots,
hanging
baskets.
Packs, pots,
hanging
baskets, tubs.
Pots Great
for chain
store sales.
Tubs.
Good garden
performance
Packs. tubs,
planters.
mass beds
• Packs,
pots.
hanging
baskets.
ffls ibm
Improve
And, we have everything you'll need
to'finish those Springtime jobs around
the house.
PAINT, WALLPAPER
STAIN, PANELLING
l ARMSTRONG CARPETS and FLOORING
-MITE CARPET TURF
C SPRUCE and CEDAR LUMBER
LUXACLAD SIDING 17 ASPHALT SHINGLES
OUTDOOR TOOLS
AND MUCH, MUCH MORE TO HELP YOU WITH
YOUR SPRING RENOVATIONS
DRIVE TO BLYTH AND SAVE...
DEEP TUFT FABRIC
In Vinyls and Velvets
For Bars, Vans, Walls, etc...
PER a PER
VELVET $8.75 LIN. FT. VINYL $5.5O LIN. FT.
MANNING'S BUILDING SUPPLIES
BLYTH PROP .DOU-EWILTS •GARY COURTNEY P H 0 N E: 523 - 9305
CORNER OF HAMILTON ST. & HWY. 4 IN BLYTH
HOURS: 8 A.M. - 5 P.M. MON..- FRI.; 8 A.M. - 12 NOON SAT.