The Citizen, 1996-10-16, Page 15Winter coat
Old man winter is coming soon and outdoor plants have
nowhere to hide. Take advantage of favourable fall
climates and install a landscape fabric around shrubs and
other plants to protect roots and soil from the chilling
effect of colder temperatures.
For the unusual, the exquisite in
fresh or silk floral designs, home
accessories and gifts come to
Luann's Country Flowers
• weddings • funerals • birthdays
III anniversaries III special occasions
CHRISTMAS
OPEN HOUSE
November 15, 16 & 17, 1996
We Deliver
Luann's Country Flowers
Queen St., Blyth 519-523-4440
or 1-800-610-7757
Ceramic Vinyl 4-, Carpet
Come in and see our in-stock carpet and
vinyl selections in our showroom
Hundreds of styles and colours to choose from
- Up to 50% off selected items
- Professional installation available for carpet,
vinyl, ceramic and wallpapering
Wallpaper and window treatments
also available
JOHN H. BATTYE
120 Hamilton St., Blyth ( at Manning's Building Supplies)
Tel: 519-523-9311
FLOORING Ci
.7
THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 1996 PAGE 15.
Autumn Home Improvement '96
Sending an SOS Save our shrubs
Now is the time to savour those
fleeting autumn days and the clean,
brisk air, bright, blue skies, and
crisp, vibrant colours they bring.
Soon enough, icy winter winds and
freezing drifts of snow may force
every living thing to seek shelter.
That is, every living thing except
plants, shrubs, and trees, which will
need your help to protect them.
Shrubs are a vital part of any
-landscape. In return for minimal
care and attention, they provide
privacy, buffer outside noise and
wind, and naturally beautify any
home. Just as homeowners depend
upon their houses to keep them safe
and secure through the harshest
season of the year, shrubs must
depend upon their owners to
sustain them through the chilly
days and nights ahead.
Instead of giving your plants the
Homeowners decide to
redecorate their homes for a wide
variety of reasons. Perhaps their
lifestyle has changed: They've
received a raise or promotion, their
family has grown, or their last child
has left home. Or perhaps they are
simply tired of looking at the same
surroundings day after day.
Whatever the reason for wanting
to redecorate, the kitchen is a smart
place to start! And beautiful new
kitchen cabinets can make all the
difference in transforming an
outdated kitchen into a family
gathering centre that you can be
proud of.
Although selecting new kitchen
cabinetry may seem like an
overwhelming and costly task,
today's wide variety of cabinetry
has made it easy to find exactly the
right cabinets to fit your taste and
your budget.
cold shoulder, take advantage of
seasonal temperatures and apply a
landscape fabric in fall to protect
shrub roots against the icy winter
chills to come.
Landscape fabric can be used
around existing trees, shrubs or
perennial flower beds. To begin,
clear away all surrounding weeds
or grass. Place strips of fabric over
the entire area, layingit as close to
the plants as possible. Trim away
any excess. Then, cover the fabric
with an attractive layer of gravel,
pebbles or wood nuggets.
For new plantings, prepare your
beds by simply laying down
overlapping strips of the fabric over
the bed and securing with fabric
pegs. Cut out holes or x's with
scissors or a knife where you intend
to plant. Then, place plants directly
through, into the soil.
Gone are the days when
renovating the kitchen meant
breaking the bank for expensive,
custom-crafted cabinetry or settling
for ho-hum, look-alike stock
cabinetry. Today, homeowners
have another choice. Now
comprising over 26 per cent of the
market, the fastest-growing
segment of the cabinet industry is
the "semi-custom" market.
Filling a niche between custom
and stock cabinetry, semi-custom
means choice — a choice of wood
species, colour, style, construction,
accessories, specialty features and
hardware. And, because they are
available in standard sizes, the cost
of semi-custom is much more
reasonable than that of custom
cabinetry.
For the smart consumer, semi-
custom cabinetry adds up to a
kitchen that is as sensational as it is
sensible!
Moisture Retention
While being out of doors is still a
pleasurable experience, why not
take the time this fall to apply a
simple, inexpensive protectant to
shrubs that will help carry them
through the winter? An
antitranspirant spray will do the job
well.
As the ground begins to freeze,
plants encounter great difficulty as
they struggle to extract water from
the soil. This problem most
severely affects the evergreen.
Unlike deciduous plants, which
shed their leaves in winter,
evergreens lose water through
pores on their leaf surfaces all year
round. As a result, the cold winter
season can induce a loss of
moisture which may cause brown
foliage and potentially kill the
shrub. Rapid temperature change
can also be deadly, as evergreens
react to unexpected warm spells by
opening their pores and releasing
moisture, while the necessary
replenishing water is still trapped in
the frozen soil.
Antitranspirant sprays coat stems
and leaves with a protective film
that holds in moisture, cushioning
evergreens and other plants against
drying, winter winds and sudden
temperature dips. Such sprays,
actually transparent polymer
emulsions, are an inexpensive and
easy way to seal and preserve the
foliage of the plant, guarding
against drought and heat, as well.
A thorough application before
the first frost should last three
months. As ice and snow can wash
away the protective coating, be sure
to re-spray throughout the winter
season.
Disease Prevention
In addition to their ability to help
plants retain important moisture,
antitranspirant sprays also play a
role in helping plants avoid fungal
infections. Fungal infections, such
as powdery mildew, can be
severely damaging, even fatal, to
plants and shrubs. Antitranspirant
sprays may inhibit the germination
of the spores that cause these
diseases. When the spore is unable
to germinate, it is incapable of
infecting the plant or shrub.
•••
•
Semi-custom cabinetry
makes sense for kitchens
Country • Victorian • Contemporary