The Citizen, 1991-05-15, Page 18PAGE 18. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, MAY 15, 1991.1
1991
■
Use plants to create a desirable backyard
BLUE FLAX
CLEOME
DAPHNE
IRIS
LEUCOTHOE
SNAPDRAGON
ANDROMEDA
CAMELLIA
COSMOS
HIBISCUS
HOLLYHOCK
ROSE
DAFFODIL
HEATHER
MARIGOLD
NASTURTIUM
SALVIA
TULIP
Herbs add flavour to garden
Each and everyday someone,
somewhere finds a new and inno
vative use for easy-to-grow, multi
purpose herbs. In fact, there are
nearly as many herbs as there are
uses for them.
Everyone knows that herbs are
ideal for spicing up soups, stews,
vinegars, jellies and relishes, and
that the right herb can add zest to
fish, meat and poultry. Quite fre
quently, a common herb is the
"secret ingredient" your grand
mother talked about at the dinner
table.
FENCE &
SCREEN
PLANTINGS
Plants with spike,
simple, or striking
blooms benefit most
from a vertical
background. Put the
tallest plants
nearest the fence.
From Step-By-Step
Landscaping, Better
Homes and Gardens'®
Books.
But herbs - actually parts of
herbs, such as flowers, leaves,
roots, seeds and bark - can be
counted on for more than improv
ing the flavour of food. Many doc
tors suggest eucalyptus herbal rubs
or balms for their patients with
strained muscles or mild back prob
lems. Herbs often are used for cos
metic purposes or artistic
endeavors. People love to drink
chamomile or scented geranium
herbal teas and unwind from a hard
day's work in a relaxing bath
accentuated with sweet flag or
According to the new book, Bet
ter Homes and Gardens Step-by-
Step Landscaping, filling your yard
with your favourite forms, fra
grances, flowers and fruits for per
fect views is a highly satisfying
spring gardening project.
The Better Homes and Gardens
Books editors devote a major por
tion of the 324-page Step-by-Slep
Landscaping to choosing and using
plantings in home landscaping,
including fence and screen plant
ings.
Here is how the book's editors
suggest you plan desirable views
into your landscaping scheme:
•Your view can be serene and
peaceful with minimal mainte
nance, or bold and exciting with
bright flowers. Combine omamen-
Bulbs bloom all
summer long
Crocuses, daffodils, and snow
drops herald the arrival of spring,
but their passing does not mark the
end of the bulb season. When they
begin to fade, don't repine - replant.
The Garden Council suggests plant
ing a variety of summer bulbs this
spring to light up the garden as the
season advances.
Bulbs - and their cousins corms,
rhizpmes, and tubers - share one
important characteristic: All
depend on stored food to carry
them through a dormant season
brought on by cold or drought, and
then to give them a good start when
dormancy ends.
sweet violet.
The appealing fragrance of dried
herbs entice many either to buy or
make their own potpourris, sachets
and wreaths, which boast a long-
lasting herbal aroma. Mint and
rosemary are among the most pop
ular herbs for this purpose.
In fact, the only thing most peo
ple who find some use for herbs
don't seem to know about them is
that they are among the easiest of
all plants to grow. Gardeners appre
ciate the variety of shapes, sizes
and colours in which herbs come.
tals with edible trees and shrubs for
delightful blooms and tasty meals.
•Plan carefully for maximum sea
son of interest. Lilacs perfume the
air for a few precious days in the
spring. Dogwoods offer spring
flowers and excellent autumn
colour, as well as interesting winter
shape. Viburnums and crab apples
have showy flowers and fruit that
attracts birds. Smoke trees bloom
for months.
•Flowering shrubs, trees, and
ground covers give form, colour,
and interest for decades with very
little work. Yet many gardeners
find that flowers, herbs, and veg
etables are always worth the extra
effort.
•Either in your mind's eye or on
paper, plan your plantings so
colours will combine harmoniously
and continue at every season of the
year. Perennials and spring bulbs
can be the backbone of such plant
ings, but annuals are the colour
champions that will bloom from
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spring until frost. Keep heights,
colours, and times of bloom in
mind for a view that tantalizes
onlookers all season. Large drifts of
the same flower and clumps of
three or more of the same small
shrub will make a more definite
statement than too much of a mix
ture.
•Some plants, like the first crocus
and early magnolia, should be near
the house and entry ways so you can
see them up close. Others - such as
butterfly-attracting tithonia - are
better seen from afar where their
coarseness is obscured by their
other virtues.
•Remember that blues, purples,
and dark colours fade in the dis
tance. While accents stand out.
Bright colours light up dark comers
and bring them into focus.
Other topics covered by Better
Homes and Gardens Slep-by-Step
Landscaping include pest control,
irrigation, outdoor lighting, decks
and patios.
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