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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1987-04-22, Page 47Page 20 The Home and Garden Show features fashion shows 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