HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1987-04-22, Page 47Page 20
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TILL YOUR GAR EN
PU1' P'Y®UFI PO L
0ETHATCH YOUR LAW
PA9NT YOUR .USE ...............
CLEAN YOUR EAVES .....„..�..o..
SAID YOUR FL ORS
DO IT ALL WITH 4...
Lay�na� �
L?eIitdI
209 Bayfield Rd., Goderich 524-2659
OPEN 6 DAYS A WEEK FROM 7:30 - 5:00
Time saving ideas
or your landscape
Why not design a "low maintenance”
landscape to reduce the amount of time you
spend tending your flowerbeds, lawn, and
shrubs?
For example, choose slow=growing dwarf
varieties of trees and shrubs to eliminate
most of your pruning chores.
The Korean boxwood (Buxus micruphrlla
1,,,rrunu). the dwarf snowball (Vihurnum
0111111e, 'Nana' i or Arctic willow (Sali.x pur-
purru •Gracilis' i are good choices.
Look for plant varieties. that can grow just
about anywhere and are known to be hardy
and dependable.
Plants that lose their leaves, drop their
fruit or their flowers — such tfees as the
Norway maple. the tulip tree, or the catalpa
— are poor choices too if your aim is to
eliminate work.
"By choosing plants that are "tried-and-
true" and hardy for your area, you can
usually avoid a lot of headaches," says Hor-
ticulturist Pat Tucker, head of the grounds
department at the University of Guelph. -
Of course, perennial flower beds are time-
savers because the plants bloom year after
year.
Try bleeding hearts, peonies, iris, phlox,
delphiniums and daylilies, hardy geraniums
and black-eyed Susans.
You'll find it is easier to care for your
flower beds if plants are grouped and you
will enjoy the added attractiveness of
volume.
And by curving your flower beds, you'll be
able to do most of your trimming chores
with a lawn mower.
To keep weeds down, use a mulch such as
bark. stone chips, or cocoa beans.
Lawns require rich soil, good drainage
and several applications of fertilizer every
year.
And where grass simply will not grow —
under mature trees, on a slope - why not
try a ground cover?
English ivy, pachSrsandra, periwinkle or
euonymus are usually trouble-free, once
they_are established.
First, you must get rid of weeds; cultivate
the area frequently to destroy weeds, or use
.an herbicide such as Round up
Glyphosate).
If you use a chemical weed killery follow
the application rates recommended by the .
manufacturer.
"The chemical kills grasses and weeds -
but it will leave the dead roots and crowns in
place. These will hold the soil and prevent it
from being washed away before your young
plants can take hold," Tucker said.
Transplant the seedlings and then use.a
mulch, such as wood chips, bark or com-
post, to conserve moisture, control soil
temperatures and to -some extent suppress
weeds.
Water during periods of drought.
"Once the plants havetaken' hold, they
will suppress weeds, conserve moisture and
hold the soil; they will also provide texture
and color to your -landscape design," Tucker
said.
Occasionally, trimming or insect and
disease control may be required; fertilize
once in spring, at similar rates. used for
lawns.
And don't overlook the value of a low- .1
maintenance shrub, such as forsythia;
honeysuckle and viburnums; these can
cover a large area at relatively little cost.
Or plant a mixture of trees and shrubs to
provide all the design criteria of texture,
color and form.
Evergreens, particularly the spreading.
types such as Green Acres, Andorra and
Tamarix jdnipers, are used extensively in
• the landscape; they tolerate hot, sunny sites
and provide -texture and color during the
winter months.
These are' also relatively' free of insects
and disease. •
But, they are slow to fill in and expensive
to purchase, Tucker says.
Broadleaved, evergreens such as winter-
. creeper, low -growing shrubs such as
cotoneaster or herbaceous perennials such
as creeping cinquefoil are also good choices.
These grow to a minimum 'height of 15
centimetres and they will also suppress
weeds, fill in quickly and can . be . easily
propagated.'
to Clean
Your
Home
6 Reasons Why!
1. Easier - no heavy lugging,
no cord to tangle.
2. Quicker • you'll whisk
from room to room
3. Cleaner - more cleaning
power than ordinary vacs
4. Healthier • din collection
unit located away from living
area
5. Quieter - whisper•quiet
vacuuming
6. Cleans any surface -
enough attachments supplied
to clean any surface
System starting
NWT WGA AMNIA -.PLUG EN A BEAM !
Hutchinson Appliances
308 Huron Rd., Goderich 524-7831