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The Citizen, 1988-04-27, Page 18PAGE 18. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 27, 1988. &Home & Garden ’88 More time needed for further expansion Dry potpourri makes home smell sweet Continued from page 17 his spare time. Shirley does most of the day-to- day work, including all the water­ ing, and does much of the grading of the picked flowers before they are collected by the wholesalers three times a week. A neighbour, 14-year-old JulieDeJong, comes in to help after school one day a week, and will be employed full-time at the greenhouses this summer, giving Shirley a little more time with Scott, five, Melanie, four, Bradley, two and Lauren, five weeks. Nowork isdone on Sundays - the day belongs to the family, Shirley says. The Boumans are now working close to capacity. and are at the point where it would be d’fficult to expand any more unless Luke quits his outside job to search out other markets, which he says he could likely do if he went to Toronto. Only four flower wholesalers service the southwestern Ontario market, and two of these grow their own alstros, while the Boumans and other growers now supply the other two almost to capacity. The wholesalers they do service would take more flowers at certain times of the year, such as during the coldest winter months, the hottest summer months, and at Christmas, Easter, Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day, but these are the times when no more blooms are available, although the Bou­ mans say the could produce more in the off-seasons if they installed more high-intensity lights, an expense they can’t contemplate at this time. The biggest expense currently is in heating the greenhouses, which must be temperature-controlled with a soil temperature of no less Five-year-old Scott and four-year-old Melanie Bouman don’t have far to go to get flowers for Mother’s Day - the choicest blooms are in their own backyard. than 55 degrees Fahrenheit and an air temperature no higher than 85 degrees. To do this, heating costs run atabout$2persquare foot from October to May, Luke says, but the biggest problem by far comes in the summer, when the greenhous­ es cannot be kept any cooler than the outside temperature, and production suffers as the tempera­ tures rise. Summer temperature can be controlled somewhat by covering the floors of the greenhouses with light-reflecting perlite, and could be managed even better with the installation of underground water pipes for cooling the soil. But again, such an installation is an expensive venture, although the Boumans are considering it for the next time the rhizomes in one greenhouse have to be replaced, in another year or two. For the time being, they are content with their new venture as it now stands, and pleased with the crop they are producing, although they keep extensive records on each of the 11 varieties of alstros in their greenhouses, watching for the ones that will produce the most stems per plant per year - the bottom line in becoming comfort­ ably well off in exotic blooms. ALSTROEMERIAS Turn-of-the-century Victorian hostesses perfumed their homes by assembling collections of var­ iously scented geraniums. Dried leaves were also used to extend the fragrances to other rooms. To make a dried potpourri, follow these steps from Country Home magazine: Cut stems of leaves from scented geraniums. Mix leaves from diff­ erent varieties or use only one fragrance. Hang the stems in bunches to dry in a dark, ventilated room. Remove the leaves from the stems and crush them to make aboutfourcups. Crushing releases the geraniums’ fragrances. A single plant should provide more than enough leaves. Add to the leaves any combina­ tion of dried herbs, ground spices and dried rose petals, thinking imaginatively to create a melange that is pleasing. For example, choose from lavender, mint, orris­ root, sage, sandalwood, tonka bean, cinnamon, cloves and nut­ meg. Mix the concoction in a large bowl, then place it in a covered container for five to six weeks, stirring or shaking the mixture every few days. This time allows for curing, during which the aromasfromall the ingredients blend and mellow. Divide the cured mixture among decorative jars, boxes, and other covered containers. Open the containers to release the fragrance. Correct fertilizing vital for roses The rose has long been a favourite among garden flowers. Nero, the Roman Emperor, is said to have strewn his banquet hall with rose petals, and Sappho, the Greek poetess, was the first to call the rose, ‘ ‘The Queen of Flowers. ’ ’ Today’s roses still top the list of garden favourites, and are sturdier and more free-flowering than ever. When well-tended, they will pro­ duce an abundance of flowers, from early summer until frost arrives in the fall. Most rose growers seem well aware of the need to spray or dust regularly to control insects and disease: however, few seem to be as well aware of the need for an adquate supply of nutrients. Roses are heavy feeders, and they must have fertilizer applied at certain critical times, if they are to be vigorous and productive. A newly planted rose will have lost a great deal of stem and root tissue during the harvesting and planting procedures. For it to become established quickly and replace this tissue, it must be well supplied with nutrients. z\n established rose will also benefit from fertilizer application when it is pruned in the spring. Although its root svstem will remain undisturbed, the severe pruning most often required to remove winter damaged wood and to shape the plant must be replaced with new growth. This, too, calls for an adequate nutrient supply. The rose flower may be cut for use in an arrangement or allowed to remain for its effect in the garden. In either case, new growth is forced for the development of the next flower. Once again, this forced growth necessitates fertili­ zer application. From the time that a rose has been cut back until itflowers again, some six to eight weeks of time will have gone by. To ensure continued vigor and quality flower, it is often necessary to provide another application of fertilizer when the new flower bud first becomes visible. Dry fertilizers can be used for roses. However, they are difficult to apply with accuracy and slow to take effect. On the other hand, water soluable fertilizers are al­ ready dissolved when applied. This allows quick peentration to the roots, as well as rapid absorption into the plant. A water soluable fertilizer is easily applied with a watering can in a predetermined amount; there­ fore, there is no danger from burning if the directions are followed. Water soluable fertilizers will not damage the foliage. In fact, foliar application is beneficial - especially so if nutrient deficien­ cies are evident. Foliar absorption is even quicker than thet which, takes place through the roots. For this reason, professional rose growers often mix water soluable fertilizer with spray ma­ terials, unless expressly forbidden on the pesticide label. One word of caution must be given with regard to fertilizing roses. 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