Clinton News-Record, 1978-04-13, Page 28Page 4
irs
Research by the National
Garden Bureau indicates that
many beginning gardeners have
only a hazy idea of the mature
size of vegetable plants. Also.
beginners often fail to leave suf•
ficient space between rows.
All it takes is one successful
garden to make each succeed-
ing vegetable garden a breeze.
Yet, first gardens are, more
often than not, overly -large,
crowded and poorly arranged,
with tall plants in the front and
frequently harvested vegetables
stuck way in the back.
Your next vegetable garden
can be as pretty as a picture.
sensibly arranged and of a
practical size. t.'se this National
Garden Bureau plan as a model
and be sure to:
Plant no more than you
can care for with ease in
four to six hours each
week,
Select varieties that are
adapted to your area.
Plant at the season recom-
mended on seed packets.
Allow plenty of space for
plants to grow; thin ruth-
- lessly.
The 300 scie ft. National
Garden Bureau garden is 20 n
15 ft., about the size of a 1 -car
garage. It is designed to ac-
commodate 13 kinds of vege-
tables and will supply most of
t -he fresh vegetables needed by
a family of three. it can be
weeded, watered and harvested
within an average of two hours'
time each week.
Seeds for this garden will cost
about 56.50 vet, from it, you
can harvest 5150 or more of de-
licious vegetables. depending
on the length of your gardening
season.
You might not care for some
of the vegetables shown in the
plan. Substitute others of com-
parable plant size. Seed packets
and gardening books can advise
you. Your County Cooperative
Extension Service offers free
bulletins on vegetable garden-
ing and lists of locally recom-
mended varieties.
Depending on the length of
the gardening season in your
Landscaping important
by John D. Ambrose
Arboretum,
University of Guelph
Does the typical residential
landscape design serve people
well? Maybe we should seek
more from our outdoor home
environment than provided by
the Pfitzer junipers around the
picture window and the flowering
crab on the front lawn. The op-
portunities for improving one's
outdoor environment and
creating private people spaces
are many; let's consider
decisions open to us in landscape
design.
Trees and shrubs can
significantly alter the harshness
of open barren space. They can
directly modify the climate of the
immediate area. Wind can be
reduced or nearly eliminated
with varying densities of plan-
tings. Temperatures are more
moderate in planted areas -
cooler during the midday sum-
mer heat and warmer in the
evening than nearby open areas.
Vines on a building can keep it
cooler during the summer. And,
dense evergreen shrubs -around a
building can keep it cooler during
the summer. And, dense
evergreen shrubs around a
building can insulate it from
seasonal extremes. Deciduous
trees and shrubs properly
oriented, can screen the heat of leaves of a canopy of pines, and
the summer sun while allowing oaks help maintain an ap-
the desirable warmth from the propriate site for Rhododendrons
low winter sun into our houses. and other shrubs requiring acid
Northern exposures can be
absorption of carbon dioxide and
release of oxygen is charac-
teristic of all green plants. In
addition, fumes and noxious
gases appear to be lower in areas
of dense vegatation.
First, one should assess
desirable and undesirable
aspects of a residential site. What
view or exposure or space should
be left open? Does the prevailing
wind, the view of a busy highway,
or the noise from local industry
warrant screening? If so, what
else may result from such
plantings? Consider moderating
the summer heat, but also
retaining winter warmth by
reducing wind and allowing
penetration of the sun.
Consider the various uses of
different outdoor areas. Outdoor
activities, flower and vegetable
garden areas will require high
sun exposure, patio or rest areas
need partial shade. It may be
desirable to define the space of
these areas to make some appear
open and expansive, others
secluded and private.
The gardener with special
interests can provide an ap-
propriate environment for his or
her specialty using appropriate
framework plantings of trees and
shrubs. A high, open canopy of
trees provides the setting for a
woodland garden. The fallen
screened with dense evergreen
' plants.
Plantings can screen many
other undesirable aspects of our
human environment. Noise can
be effectively reduced with
dense, continuous plantings or
earth forms and plantings. Glare
from buildings, traffic, pavement
or other artifacts can be softened.
Dust is significantly lower in
areas of heavy vegetation than
adjacent open corridors. The -
soil.
The north side of a, dense
screen will slow the appearance
of spring bulbs, the south side will
accelerate spring flowering.
Numerous trees and shrubs will
attract birds and other animals,
adding a dimension to the
recreated natural environment.
Wildlife can also be attracted by
considering appropriate cover
and winter food when selecting
plant material and planning its
placement.
Prune fruit trees now
Once the severe wintry
weather is over, it's time to start
pruning fruit -bearing trees, says
R. F. Gomme, horticulturist with
the Ontario ministry of
agriculture and food. So sharpen
your tools and get ready to prune.
"Cut broken and damaged
branches first, then crowded
branches in the interior and top of
the tree. Remove all the sucker
growth, which is usually lighter
in color and grows near the main
trunk at ground level and
elsewhere throughout the tree.
Finally, prune away branches
that tend to grow downwards or
interfere with other main
branches," he says.
When pruning, avoid cutting
away more than 10 per cent of the
tree's growth. Severe pruning
can sometimes be injurious Mr.
Gomme warns. He also
recommends that all cuts be
made flush with the parent limb
and large cuts be covered with a
wound dressing to prevent entry
of diseases and fungous
organisms. '
GARDENERS
MAKE BETTER
i� DIVERS
area, you can plant "succession -
crops" as soon as you have
harvested the vegetables shown
Six plants Swiss chard
with onion sets alongsid'
plant early
Two 12ft rows
bush beans
NOTE: plant tvtlo rows
6 inches apart
down the center
of the bed.
Two rows lettuce
interplanted with
parsley
and
Two rows beets
plant early
in this plan. Over most of the
country, leafy salad vegetables,
cabbage family members, and
National Garden Bureau Plan
Vegetablefor 2Of1.X151t
DIVIDE GARDEN INTO FIVE BEDS, EACH 2ft. WIDE,
WITH 1 ft WIDE WALKS BETWEEN BEDS
root crops can be planted as
succession crops as late as
August for fall harvest.
Two rows sweet corn
space plants 9 to 12 inches apart
Three plants tomatoes
2Ot1
/- Three plants
summer squash
(or bush type
• winter squash or
15ft. bush cucumbers)
Six plants cabbage
or broccoli
• plant early
Four plants peppers
(or two eggplant bushes)
Two rows carrots
mixed with radishes
plant early
*hit
tv
1"
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ve4e rem
°d °I
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Community
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70 ONTARIO ST. 482-3467
EXETER BRANCH:
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11
GODERICH
Community
Credit Union
39 ST. DAVID ST. 324-7931