The Citizen, 2007-10-18, Page 18(NC)—Fall is a great time to be
working in the garden. The season's
colours may be orange, but you can
go "green" and be environmentally
responsible while planting and prep-
ping your garden for another glori-
ous year.
Consider the following Fall gar-
dening tips from The Home Depot
Canada:
BULBS FOR THE
MONTHS AHEAD
Now is the time to think ahead to
warmer weather and how you want
your garden to look all season long.
Start by selecting a wide-range of
bulbs, several for each season, to
ensure your garden is colourful for
as long as possible. Have a palette in
mind and buy different sizes in this
palette to create an organized and
colourful effect.
PLANTING BULBS
There are a few basic rules when it
comes to planting. First, plant bulbs
pointy side up, by the dozen. Try not
to plant in straight rows. For a natu-
ral effect, let the bulbs roll out of a
basket on the ground and plant them
where they fall.
FOIL THE SQUIRRELS
Squirrels love to rampage through
a garden, digging up bulbs and tak-
ing a bite. Squirrels don't like narcis-
sus though, so plant them with
tulips, which they do love to keep
both bulbs and blooms safe.
PLANT STRATEGICALLY
After bulbs bloom, the leaves con-
tinue to provide nourishment for
next year's growth. Try and plan
your garden so that fading leaves can
be hidden by other plants. Start by
planting bulbs, especially the little
ones, as close as possible (about 30
cm/12 in.) to shrubs and trees, so
there will be something to cover up
yellowing foliage.
PLANT A TREE OR SHRUB
Fall is one of the best times of year
to plant trees and shrubs. If you live
in areas that are relatively warm it's a
fantastic time to plant deciduous
trees, spring-flowering trees and
shrubs (dogwoods, viburnums, mag-
nolias, redbud). They are less likely
to suffer transplant shock.
Evergreens do particularly well if
you keep them deeply watered right
up to hard frost. In colder zones,
wait until Spring to plant evergreens.
PLANTING FOR FALL
COLOUR: IT ONLY TAKES A
WEEKEND!
From chrysanthemums to gourds
and pumpkins, your yard can look
great even with the seasonal shift.
You can plant chrysanthemums ear-
lier in the season to give your garden
a burst of colour.
Try planting autumn crocus
(Colchicum spp. and cultivars),
which bloom within three or four
weeks of planting. They disappear
only to return next fall.
PAGE 18. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2007.Fall planting 101: where to plant and what
(NC)—When the air turns crisp
and leaves start to turn colour, many
of us head outdoors for a final
cleanup of garden, backyard, patio
and deck areas.
Stowing patio furniture and clean-
ing and storing summer tools is typ-
ically part of the routine, but when
the leaves fly, there is one more
thing you can do in a matter of min-
utes that will pay off for your home
environment next spring: fertilize
your lawn.
After your last cut of the year, a
fall feeding provides the nutrients
your lawn needs to withstand the
harshest weather. Choose a winter-
care fall lawn fertilizer for the best
rate of nitrogen, phosphorous and
potassium (N-P-K).
“The fall application of fertilizer
makes a big difference to the health
of your lawn come spring,” says
Kathy Russell, a lawns expert.
“Regular feeding promotes healthy
root growth and a healthy lawn is
better able to crowd out weeds and
resist other pests, so you'll have less
maintenance overall.”
Most people fertilize once or
twice a year, but feeding your lawn
four times a year is recommended
by agronomists as optimal for most
lawns. Choose a slow release, all-in-
one particle fertilizer and make sure
the fertilizer is applied on the lawn
only by using a drop spreader, or
one with an edgeguard technology
that helps to prevent the fertilizer
from landing on driveways and other
hard surfaces.
“Your lawn makes an important
contribution to the environment,
cooling the temperature around your
home, absorbing pollutants and pro-
viding oxygen, so it's well worth
taking care of,” adds Russell, noting
real estate experts estimate quality
landscaping can add 10 to 15 per
cent to the value of your home.
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Feed in fall for healthy lawn Did You Know?
Lawns make an important con-
tribution to the environment:
• Healthy turf traps pollutants
and absorbs carbon dioxide,
resulting in cleaner air.
• A 50 foot by 50 foot lawn pro-
vides enough oxygen every day
for a family of four.
• Urban areas can be 4° to 7°
Celsius warmer than rural areas.
Healthy green spaces are dra-
matically cooler than asphalt,
helping to cool the environment
around your home, reducing
energy costs related to air condi-
tioning in the summer.
• Grass and ornamental trees and
shrubs can absorb sound, reduc-
ing noise levels by 20 to 30 per
cent.
- News Canada