Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1983-04-27, Page 45Fuss 20 By urke McNeill Exteeurx: o® 1}llortictaiturist Ontario Ministry Of Agriculture and Food MILTON - Home gardeners are often puzzled a tut the best method of landscaping a slope. Gentle slopes do not present any problems, but steep slopes can be very frustrating. Steep slopes are prone to erosion, and are difficult to mow. Where possible, steep slopes should be avoided or eliminated_ In my opinion, home gardeners should build a retaining wall, and terrace the area, if possible. These measures are costly, but they will reduce the headaches of maintaining the area considerably, in the long run. The best method of main- taining a slope is to seed or sod the area with a good turf grass. Turf grasses reduce erosion, and are relatively n se easy to auaintam. Once established, they give a neat and tidy appearance. Many gardeners prefer to grow ground covers on slop- ing areas_ When fully established, ground covers are very attractive. However, they are not as easily established as turf grasses. A poorly - established and poorly - maintained bed of ground covers often becomes in- fested with weeds. When this occurs, the frustrations become real, and the gardener becomes discouraged. If the homeowner can afford to hire a professional gardener to maintain the property, or can devote the time to the garden personally, ground covers can provide a very in- teresting display on a slope. Hiring a professional gardener can be a very cost- ly affair, and in our society a s lo today, few families have the time to keep up with essen- tial gardening chores. The use of a retaining w.ai! is a much more practical solu- tion ndscapimg the slope, in spite of the cost. There are several materials that can be used to construct a retaining wall. Railway ties, treated lumber, stone, concrete, ce- ment blocks, and bricks have all been used with good results. Your choice may de- pend on the availability and cost of these products in your area. Whatever type of material you choose, the ap- pearance and effectiveness of the wall depends on good construction methods. Nothing is more unsightly or frustrating than a wall that is constantly falling down and in need of periodic repair. Always start by preparing a rood base for, the wall. Preparation vanes depen- ding on the different materials used. Ask your supplier to recommend the best method for the materials you select. Make stare that the wall is reinforc- ed properly to hold the weight of earth behind it. Your retaining wall will look better and last longer if you consider these points before construction begins. A plain or stark wall is not pleasing to view. Most re- taining walls can be enhanc- ed with trailing annuals, rockery perennials, and ground cover plants. The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food has several publications available to help you prepare your plans. They are available from local agricultural offices, or from the Information Branch, On- tario Ministry of Agriculture and Food, Legislative Buildings, Toronto, Ontario M7A 1A5. How much is your landscape wo How grouch value do the trees, shrubs and other liv- ing plant anaterials in your yard add to your home? And how can you tell? Landscape Ontario Hor- ticultural Trades Associa- tion suggests there are several ways to figure their worth. The first way is ob- vious: calculate the cost of the plants in the marketplace. Another is to assess their contribution to the value of your property. And a third, but difficult assessment to make is the contribution they make to your quality of life. Living plants do have a value worth protecting. For example, the investment made in a young tree or plant five years ago is worth more now because of its larger size and also because inflation has increased its in- itial cost. A nicely landscaped yard can increase the value of a home by an average of 12 percent. And while it is a fact that a homeowner can get back some of the money spent on plant material when he sells the property, land- scaping is really done for other equally important values - beauty, shade, recreation areas, privacy, wildlife attraction or whatever else the family might have in mind. Plants provide oxygen, filter air, block unwanted noise, con- serve energy and screen ug- ly sights. They clean the air, cool and humidify. They hold the earth to stop erosion and control water pollution. They do all these things and more. Who can compute the value of clean, fresh air, beautiful landscaping and the collective effects of liv- ing in a community that says 'we care'. THIS SPRING BUY DIRECT FROM WE HAVE OVER 20,000 S FT. of Greenhouses full of ['DI G PLAN S BURST! G TO SEE OU ` SELECT! N! 1!! Ground covers add visual interest to Ian: =capes and at the same time, solve erosion and maintenance problems. Here ground covers cascade over rocks and low walls, softening outlines and providing a background to accent other plants in the garden. Erosion and maintenance problems on this sio are solved. Prolong the pleasure, grow food " doors Gardeners feel it keenly when winter shuts off the supply of fresh home-grown salad vegetables. Many peo- ple know that feeling and want to go on growing vegetables indoors during winter. Well, it's hard to do. The further north you live the harder it becomes, and especially if in your area you are cursed with many cloudy winter days. There are a few small, leafy vegetables and herbs that will grow in pots near a south or west wndow. Leaf lettuce, greens of various kinds, chives, basil and parsley are a few. But they don't grow well at the usual house temperature. The fruiting vegetables, such as tomatoes, do poorly except in the sunny southofthe southwestern parts country where windows flood a room with sunlight. So, if you have sunny southern or western win- dows, give salad vegetables a try. But remember, these plants prefer cool rooms that balance the reduced winter sunlight. HE GROWER Good Gardening Tips from Chipman® SPLA We h , ve ® wide ass rtm nt of: *EVERGREEN SHRUBS *SRA E TREES *FRUIT TREES *FLOWERING SHRU *ROSE BUSHES *PERENNIAL PLANTS Your plants face thousands of different dangers lake diseases, bugs, smothering weeds...What to do about it? Well, we believe that our Chipman Information Centre will give you all the answers to your questions. It's a complete guide to everything that can go wrong, and the Chipman garden care products you can use to make sure they dont. Look for the Chipman Information Centre at Huron Ridge Acres. 11 fl keeps the good things growing *FLOWERS & VEGETA LE SEES *BULK SEES *DUTCH SETS *SEED PTAT i1S ©FERTILIZE i & PEAT MOSS We have twit stock m full lure of Chipman te$ecticide$, Herbicides and Fungicides for complete Garment care. bedding pI<_ nts0 inc. cgiuzon cRidge czeA Welsch for $igflc on Hwy. 81 'South of Boyvfiniii end Hwy. I4 *Nat of Zurich. ®AVID SYtCKLL ARID FAMILY R.R. No. 2 PHONE: �i�9Rf�Ho ONY. ,RIO (319) 393-2122 OWN Move-IFiia 9-9 qo 9-S wing My Sunday 1:3O-5