HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1981-04-29, Page 36Grdiruing togetber- a girl and bey garden
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Kids'n gardens go together
No two children, like no two
sets of fingerprints are alike, but
when. it comes to' getting dirty,
they all say yea, Gardening is an
acceptable way for them to get
dirt under their fingernails, and
learn something valuable they
will hold dear for the rest of their
lives. Even the difficult child, jad-
ed with possessions, mesmerized
by the idiot box, troubled by
parental breakups or quarrels, or
made cynical by urban stresses
can respond with innocent
wonderment to, the miracle of
growing things.
Specialists in school gardening
helped to put together a set of
guidelines for parents who are
wondering how to involver their
childloii childreryin home garden--
ing.
arden-ing.
Start small; five square feet is a
big responsibility fora young one.
Start with seeds; if you purchase
plants, your child will miss out on
part of the cycle of seeds, soil,
sun and water. '
You'll find that. the best way for
• . commuthty gardening
•r
iv 'By Bob Hantersm a
• Researchifnatkute
of Ontario
The migration -of people to
urban areas and .changes in
lifestyles make it harder for
those, who wish to garden to
find enough space with good
land to plant a garden. High-
rise apartments and multi -unit
homes are common in the
cities, and gardening sites
have been virtually eliminated
for many people.
However, there is a solution.
Vacant land, near built-up
areas, owned . by a
municipality, which is suitable
for agriculture, may be
designated as community or
allotment gardens. These
areas, divided into plots of up
to 96 square metres (500 sq; ft.)
are rented to municipal
residents for the season. Users
are charged a nominal fee; $10
is an average seasonal charge,
and are allowed to . grow
whatever they wish. The
gardeners must be willing to
follow certain common sense
rules concerning weeds,
cleanliness and pest control.
The rewardsare obvious.
Community gardening
provides opportunities to save
food .dollars and produce
nutritious foods. At the same
time, it helps improve the
quality of life through
recreation, education and the
chance to meet your neigh-
bours.
Community gardeningin-
formation is usually available
through local municipal parks
and recreation departments ,,.If
your community has a garden
plot project, all you have to do
is register early enough to
reserve a plot for the year and
then decide, what to grow and
how. Seed companies, and
extension staff of your local
Ontario Ministry of
Agriculture and Food office
can help you decide the best
way touse your garden area.
Maloe eyefuls
out of eyesores
with annuals
The garden hot spot. The'one location that never seems to
look .anything but awful. Year after year, the only plants to
flourish are weeds.
The eyesore can become an eyeful when careful selection
becomes part of the.gardening process. Many annual flowers
do not thrive in hot,' dry locations, but the exceptions will
provide unceasing bloom' in this most inhospitable en-
vironment.
Verbena and vinca are two annuals which will perform
colorfully in the hot, dry garden environment. Plant
breeders, conscious •of the worth of hardy annuals, have
developed two new varieties for the 1980 growing season.
Premiering in seed catalogues and as started plants at
greenhouses and garden centers this spring, are 'Little
Rosie' vinca, and the All -America award winner, 'Sangria'
verbena.
'Sangria,' recipient of a bronze All -America award for
1980, boasts a rich wine -red color unique to the verbena
family. Other outstanding attributes of this new introduction
include a very uniform height and increased resistance to
heat. The spreading trailer will extend 2•to 3 feet in the home
garden setting.
Use 'Sangria' as an edging plant, add summer color"to the
rock garden or try it in' a hanging baOket. The warm
burgundy overtones will enhance a variety of landscape
settings, plant colors and forms.
The virtues of vinca 'Little Rosie' are also headlined by its
resistance to sun and hot weather. The compact 8- to 10 -inch
plants produce deep violet -rose flowers, however hot or dry
the summer. This newest addition to the 'Little' series boasts
the same lustrous green foliage and hybrid vigor found in
'Little Blanche,' 'Bright Eyes,' 'Pinkie' and 'Delicate.' All
are ideal as bedding plants in the most droughty .and sun -
sizzled of locations.
While vinca and verbena can both he started from seed,
many home gardeners find these species somewhat exac.ting
to germinate indoors. They can be readily purchased as
bedding plants at garden centers and greenhouses,
• If you don't have access to a
community garden and you're
interested in establishing one,
refer. to -the -handbook
"Community . Gardening"
(Brooklyn Botanic Garden,
Brooklyn, New York•11225) as
a resource guide for planning.
Every vacant lot. or .unused
piece of land- in a community
has potential as a garden.
Many . community garden
projects in use now were
started by groups' with a
common interest who saw the
growing potential in a par-
ticular patch of land.
Once the plots are
established and under way, the
attitude of growing seems to be
infectious. Organizations are
formed to arrange meetings
and classes with horticultural
experts for gardening advice
to publish .newsletters with
cultural tips, to provide con-
tests for the best, neatest and
biggest and to set up children's
projects. -
The quantity and variety of
flowers and vegetables that
can be grown in a small area is
remarkable. Growing flowers
for cutting and for Dolor, or a
succession of two or three
crops of vegetables. (even four
in the warmer parts of
southern Ontario) can present
a challenge to your gardening
skills.
Community garden plots,
however small, provide the
satisfaction of "growing your
own" with minimum in-
vestment. Find out if your
community has garden plots
available this season and
reserve yours as soon as
possible..You may be able to
have the vegetable garden you
always wanted after all.
a child to learn is by watching.
Keep the coaching to a minimum.
Let them watch you for a while.
before you turn them loose to
plant.
Never water or care for the
plants yourself, except when
"helping" very young children,.
but don't lay a guilt trip on the
child if flowers or vegetables die
of neglect. Say nothing; the kid
learned a lesson that may stick.
Put a low wire edging around
the garden to keep out siblings,
household pets and adult feet.
This also gives the child a sense of
ownership.
wrapped tin cans work just fine.
The National Garden Bureau
recommends a simple device to
help children water plants. Sitik, a
wallpaper tray up to its rim in the
soil afterperforating the bottom
with a heated auger or nail. Plant
seeds in rows parallel to the tray
about six inches away. The tray
can be fjlled_with a small bucket
and will act as a reservoir. Sprinkl-
ing cans are fun, 'but the
youngsters usually get wetter than
the plants. A water hose in the
hands of a little one tends to wash
away seeds and knock over seed-
lings.
Wash off insect pests with a Manure water, or a weak solu-
needle sharp spray ;pf water. tion of fertilizer, can be used oc-
Don't use poisons; not only. ate . casionally to demonstrate that
they unsafe around children,. but ttplants can benefit from extra
they may cause the child to reeding. Make sure you explain
worry. what plant foods do for flowers
and vegetables.
Let your young gardener pull
all the flowers he or she wants. Let the child bg a pan of the
Encourage them to make bot" process of selecting plants, but
quets in durable vases; foil- remember that ease and depen-
dability are big factors:
I
' It would be difficult ttdl find an
easier -to -grow, more ,dependable
flower than annual sunflowers,
Ctiildren will get a kick out of
growing such enormous' plants;
the seeds are easy to handle and
quick sprouting. Few insects
bother sunflowers.
Climbing vines such as morning
glories also make good "first
flowers", but you should string
these plants up a fence or sturdy
pole.
Another good idea is to buy
mixtures of flower seeds
readymade for children. These
mixtures are sold. under several
names ,such as "Annual Flower
Mixture", "Cutflower Mixture"
and "Wildflower Mixture": Any of
them can produce an astounding
number of beautiful species and
curiosities. These mixtures thrive
even if not thinned, fed or
watered fir extended •periods.
ifr
They're never too young to start a garden
Vfaloiff
Cadet Tractors were born and
bred to work your lawn and
garden as easily and reliably
as their "country cousins"
work big, sprawling fields.
Built solid from the ground
up, they come with farm
tractor features like steel
channel automotive type
frames and cast iron front
Wes.
rite
!mall, 8 models areavailable;
from the 8 HP Cadet 182 to
the 19.9 HP Cub Cadet 982.
With special attachments,
they can work year 'round '—
cutting,
cutting, aerating and rolling
lawns, sowing seeds, sweep=
ing leaves, leveling ground,
hauling and clearing snow..
If it's worth doing, it's worth
doing right. Check out Cadet
Tractors soon . , . and get a
great farm heritage working
for you.
±tk
ii
Watch ifgrow
(food garden soil is not madu4t,';
overnight. 'Made" not "horn,'
because gcSod garden ',oils arc
usually built by the gardener,
Ncw gardeners should ;Cut eti4'''�'.
peel their first vegetable or flower
garden tb he- perfect. Addin
organic matter and nutrients for ai'
few years is usually necessary to
improve soil fertility and
drainage '
What a great feeling to sec the
fast growth and good color! The
plants themselves will tell you
when your soil is at peak produc•
tivity.
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