page le, WhiIby FreP. Poe Wedneedy, September 2,.1992 A SUMMER LIFESTYLE FEA TURE brings s pýr ing colou r You don't have to be an expert ta create a dynamie exterior '" using bulb flower . A littie imagination and some tender loving care will take you most of the way. Here are a few liints ta make the task easier. Because flower bulbe are etorehouses of nutrients, you already have a head start. *Select firm, high-quality Dutch bulbe; smali nicks and loose kidne will fot affect the quality of the flower.. .* Ensure the so i j well drained: Vitually any type wil do as long as it ise base and porous. To fimprove drainage, add organic matter, such as peat mose or compost, by as much as 50 per cent of the volume of' the upturned soil. AIea, tiy planting i raised beds. * Work some ferUlzer into the soil at the bottom of the plantinig hole. If you for'get, apply atp dreseing ad work it in lhtly.. Wae and meltinÈ enaw ý,w:fllIssol3ôve jt and' cany it down ta, the roots., Use a sow-vrealease fertilizere.g. containing. nitrogen, phosphoru and potassum i the from Lawn-Boy' the lawn as ferti bag or dispose ol The2est pa to long to mulch. ad:pteèd-to disci 4700 tHCKSON ROAI ratio. 9-946, or a 9-9-9 combination'if, the former je not available. 0Plant' bulbe at least twice as deep as their height;- as much' as 30 .cois (12 ins.) is recommended 'in 'areas with sparse or irregular Emow cuver. Large bulbe (e.g. -tuliipe, daffodile, etc.) should. be spaced 12'to 15 cma (4 ta 6 ins.) apart; little bulbe (e.g. crocus, muscari,, uull, etc.) ehould be 5 ta 8 cme apart (2 ta 3 ins.) e Once bulbe are ini position, caver them with half the dug out soil and water- thoroughly. Add the- remaining upturned sa until the ground is level. Water again. (Since bulbe grow even after the ground b as frozen, watoring ensimes adeqate misture for their growth.) *Caver with a 10 cm (approximately 4 i.), layer of organic mulch -- leaves traw, etc.. Keep soul moiet, p.rtcularly during dry speils.,(Mid-winter thawe --flot the cold - arè the enemy,.of hardy bulbe, sometimes, causing them -ta etart growing far too early. Mulch ,minimizes thie danger, especially where the snow caver ie variable.) PLANT AlL TYPES of spring-flowering bulbs before the first hard frost of winter, . t least twice as deep as th eir height. Deeper'plant- ing. - as lmuch as 30 -cm. ,(12 in.)- is. recommended in areas with sparse or irregu- lar snow cover. Add a layer of organic mulch (leaves, straw. etc.)q, keep the; grund temperature constant because -mkl-winter thaws, not the cold,' are the enemy, of hardy' bulbs, sometimes causing them to' start growing toc early. Photo by iter Emiintoban Centrm.Hfllogm, Haland Landscaping, enhances'hom,e valueas well as a-ppara.nceé' Since most home,. sales are made in the spring, a garden ful of bright blooming tulips, daffodils, crocus, hyacinthe and other, bulb' flowers :can add substantially to, the appearance of your property. However, ta, have flower bulbe i bloom in the spring, now is the time 1.for 1action. : Ail epring-flowering bulbe must be planted in autumn. Kevan - onnor, president, Ontario Real'Estate Association, saye that a well-landsceaped home presents better and selle faster than a elmilar dwelling that laclce yard and garden care. "I fact, poor landscaîpixig can ac tually detract from the value of a .homie." Kevan' Baye.. If ,a property doee not look appealing, often home ehopperewon't eve go in. A good fhe im pressidon can make a big differencÎ>.,After al, ouneyer get a secéond chance ta' maea fa-et.iipeson." The esthetic and therapeutic values c f- gardening- are well known, accardng ta, Chris Andrews, executive director, Caniadian Nursery Trades Association." "We can ail experi- enoe great personal pleasure by lcsing oizrselvee ithe beauty cf ,Plants, nurtuning,,and-watcùfùng the ngrow.before our.,eyee., rHowever, there..are prati .1 benefite from gardening, taco. For b ~SfPAGE 19- 4? flfrY~EV L'P'..ISA Il