WHITBY FREE PRESS, Thursday, April 27, 1972, Page 11 of interest to woinen Viewpoint by Id McCuhtrie ROSES The most loved of all flowers is the rose. Of all the flowers that ever grew, the rose has occupied more book space than any other. But, i am, of course, b i as e d. I can understand a gardener having a hundred varieties of roses in his garden, but fail to see a person h avi ng the same number of African violets, which flower when they feel I ike it. Of course i shall be soundly berated for this by irate violet fans. The important thing to remember in b uy i ng plantings for good roses is to buy good heaithy stock from a local nursery . Don't go to the department store, you won't buy good roses there. A department store is not in the growing b u s i n e ss. A nurseryman can tel1 you w h a t grows in your area; he is know- ledgeable about his product, and wants to see you come back again. He can give sound advice about different types for different places. El I esmere nurseries in Brooklin grow over five hundred different ros- es, enough selection for the most dis- criminate fancier. Before you p u r c hase, deci de what sort of a garden you want, draw a plan - y ou r nursery w i iI help you free of charge. Dig a hole twice as big as you were going to do so that a bushel basket wil1 fi t in wi th ease about three inches below the surface. Mix half the soil with half as much pe at moss and half as much g oo d, weli-rotted manure, or bagged m an u r e, of course you won't use that chemical stuff - please. If the roses were not pruned at the n u r se r y y ou must prune them before pi anting. Out of any broken roots using sharp tools, prune the branches, taking off about one third of the present growth. i I ik e to so ak the roots in lukewarm water for a couple of hours after this. Place the soil mixture in the hole until the bud union is about an inch below the surface, spread the roots naturally and form, the!soil like a pyramid under the roots. Gentlyfill intherest of the soil and water thoroughly until the soil is runny , add some dry soil to the top leaving a depression around the stem. Immediately cover the ground with a foot of loose hay, leaves or.other type feed a littie of the manure tea. Feed a b ou t.a quar t cf tea ever y other week f or sixÃ-- week s and that.wiil Ibe enough for a good healthy rose. Next week spring treatment of ras- Approach. by SId Mons Commonsense Landsc aping In lastweek's article you obtained a gi impse of the 'public areal. In this week's article, youwill see the various features of both the public and service areas of your landscaping. You should keep in mind two impor- tant aspects when deciding the location of the Service Area. The service area shouldbe located near your back door. In thi's way it is handy for your clothes. lines or garbage cans when you-carry clothes from the basement or garbage from the kitchen. The other aspect to keep in mind is that it should be loca- ted near your garage and driveway so that supplies such as fertilizers, lum- ber and plants do not have to be carr- ied too far. Your service area could contain the follow ing features as well; compost pile, vegetable garden and storage shed for tools and gardening equipment. The Private area of your landscape plan should be an extension of your living room or your recreation room, wheremembersof your family and your friends can relax. Therefore, the area should be screened from your neigh- bors. You can accomplish this privacy by surrounding the area with small trees s h r u b s a nd flowering plants. These will supply you with an attractive and inexpensive ""wall "1I. The space for thi s border should be at least 8 feet wide. If you haven't got enough room for a border, try a hedge. You could try al- pine currant or privet if it is going to be-less than 4 feet tall. If you wish to have a taller hedge w hi te c edar ( Thuja occidentalis) or shingleoak (Quercus imbricate) can be used. You can aiso use wooden and metal fences to ensure privacy. To make a f e n c e m o r e attractive you can pl ant vines such as cl imbing roses or honey- suck le. The most important feature of the private area is the patio. The patio may be made ;of, such material as cross sec- t ions of logs or railwaysties, flags- tones, patio blocks or bricks. The location cf your patio should be near the back door. In this way it is close ta your kitchen ( where cookout food is prepared). The patio should also blend with the landscape. If your flower borders and shrub barders are str aight and formai , the patio should be rectangular, but if the beds have " natural In wavy lines then the pat io' s edge shoul d ai se be cu- rved. A tree is the most cammon and at- tractive way ta provide shade far the patio. Be sure ta place the tree prop- GARDEMING The Radical The Technical Mother'sDay MAY 14th it's a special day and it's easy to send your love to mother with flowers . . . anywhere in the world or just around the corner. Let us help you make it a memorable day. F LO R 1ST 579-1325 erly, so that it will cast a shadow on the patio at noon. Theselection of a shade tree is im- p o r t a'nt since the ultimate shape will govern the type of shade you will even- tually have on your patio. Youshouldkeep the lawnarea free of small flower beds or isolated shrubs, as this will prevent more active forms of recreation in your 'private' area. It is important that you plan your landscaping around your home so you have a harmonious, finished plan. For the avid gardener: Gardener's Weekend April 29, 10 a. m. to 6 p . m. and 30th (9:30 to 5:15 p. m. ), 1972, at the Civic Garden Cen- t r e I o cated in Edwards Gardens, 777 Lawrence Avenue East. Time of tours led by Tom Thompson (Metro's Park Commissioner) - Satur- d a y 11:00 a. m. , 2:00 p. m. and 4:00 p. m. and Sunday 10:00 a. m._and 3:00 p. Following the tour of the six demon- stration stations, participants willI vis- i t the C iv i c G a r d en Centre building where numerous informational commer- cial displays will provide up-to-date data on gardening products, techniques and services. Come join us - it's free! Questions on gardening to Sid Mor- ris will be answered in a personal re- t u r n l1etter. Address correspondence to Box 206, Whitby, Ont. Questions maybe sent to Ed McCaugh- t r i e C / O Whi tby Free Press, Post Office Box 206, Whitby. m