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Whltby Fm r.. resWednosdy, ay 10. 19M5. Pais 17 A HOME DESIGN AND IMPROVEMENT FEATURE- Weekend Gardener's Summer Calendar 1 is fo ahe* ' aw ad al si mm,.long...I eloosen the soil i flower beds and shrub horders emulch ail planted areas to deter weed growth and conserve moisture *rak e, top-dress, fertilize and weedkill lawn areas *seed'or sod new lawns *fertilize trees and shrubs *sow/plant vegetables *plant annuais, perenmials and ground cover with a liqid transplant fertiizer *plant suinmer flowering buibs " remove dead flowers from roses and other perennials " apply an organic insectici- dal soap if insect probleins are evident on plants " harvest young peas, beans and other vegetables to keep them producing " grubs and chinch bugs can quickly kçiâ large areas of the lawn. Apply a soil- *stake and tie tail growing perennials, vines and climbers *increase mower height for sununer cutting *inspeet plants for insect and disease problems *increase watering of plants and lawns during dry weather" *hoe and hand-pull weeds *use biodegradahie herbi- cides such as WipeOut to kil unwanted weeds quickly, without harming the soil " continue weeding and dead-heading roses and perenmials " cut-back overgrown perennials to rejuvenate them " apply a slow-release fertil- izer, low ini nitrogen, with a 6-8-12 formulation " lower mower height for fail cutting insecticide as soon as dam- age i notced.Source: Wilson Laboratories Gel, 'cooking' with your compost pile By Ailen Henke With aplgista Jules Verne, there' a lot going on undor the. leavos that you se. at the. top of your compst pile. iàke Captain Nemo surveying the. vastnesof the. ocean, the. first challenge is ta find a place for your compost pile. Once you've decided where ta put it, the. noit stop la actually constructing the. compost pile. You can build *an nxesv composer by simply placing four staloe into the. ground and covering three aides with chicken wire, leaving one side open' for easy accesa, or you can purchase a pre-fabricated unit. But remeniber, your compost pile should b. a least threo foot in diameter and four feet liigh in order ta, build a hot internai tem~rtr that gets it Sa, what's under what you se? Your compost pile shoud b. composed of organic material ta decompose - including 20,000 leaves (more or loua), grass clipping, straw and other disoase-fre. vegetable matter. If you have tr.at.d your lawn with a herbicide, wait at least four mowings before composting the treated grass clippings. For best- results, build your compost pile in layors, sprinkling fertilizer on each five- ta ten-inch layers. Your fertilizer should have a formula of 10-10-10, thatVs 10 parts nitrogen, 10 parts phosphorus and 10 parts potassium. Adding a dusting of lime te, contrai odor and caver each layer with Sal.. Leave a depression in the topof the pile tacatch rain - keep your compost moiist ta, keep it cooking. During a dry spre1 water the. compost pile. Turn your compost pile regulaly Do that the drier outaide portion is foldedinside where the internai heat and microbial action can break it down. By including the. right ingredients and tending your compost correctly, youll create enough gardoner's "gold7 - AKA compost - ta, keep your plants green and growing. Ellen Henke is a botanist, garden writer and authoeiy on TErth Friendy-gardening. Thingsto do before you dig1 Planting season bas arrived and with it the traditional flurry of activity in gar-den centres everywhere as gardeners -, greenthumbs and amateurs alike - stock up on fresh supplies of floweru, plants and shrubs. But in their haste to get the gardon planted and blooming quickly, homeowners often overlook basic steps i so rrepartion. Steps, according to a ledn anadian weed biologist that- would ultimately reduce the number cf tdious hoursespent doaling with the number one gadn menace. Jack Aloi, professor emeritus9 at the University of Guelph, bas spent the last 40 years studying weeks and knows how, quicldy they can turn a gardon oasis into a nightmare. According ta Aloi, pro-e preparation of the soed b.d, which may include, new techniques ta kidl weeds and unwanted growth without affecting the intergrity of the sal, is the key ta having a lush gardon ail seasan long. He notes that sa"I is more than just a place where plants anchor their roots. It acts 1k. a living organism providing nutrients that are fimdamental ta successful growth. "Whether transplanting a- tree or shrub or worIng on an eisting gardon bed, there are a number of stops that wil ultimately lead ta, fewer weeks, faster. growth, less ongoing mitenanoe, and a healthier gardon," advises Aloi. Start first by removing any weeds, roots, stones and other debris that may have collected in the garden b.d over last fail and winter. As well as killing any weeds that may have started ta grow, digging up the soil permits water and air ta, penetrate beyond the top soil, providing plants with more opportunity ta devolop deep root systems. The addition of compost or manure, thoroughly mixed inta the root zone, will condition the. sili and provido a good foundation for iiealthy' plant growth. Once the soil area has been prepared, the seeds of flowers and vegetables sown, and young trays of seedlings transpanted, applying a layer of sreded bark betweon the. rows wiil conserve moisture as well as mmize weed growth. Clearing weeds prior ta planting is imperative because weeds are thon much easier ta 'n control tha when the gardon is, up and growing. If -digging or oeing are difficuit or ImrJtci WijeOut a new adabl erbiidekilsa unwanted weedsà and grass fast without harming the sal. Alex notes tis is a key benefit ta, gardeners. 'IJUlko many products wbich effectively Idi the sail by sterilizing it, the active ingredients are raidlcy broken down imto harmios compounda," says AleL "This ailows replanting ta b. don. in only a few days.' Idoally suited for patios and- driveways, and hard-to-reach areas around flower beds, trees and fencos, the. product dos fot transiocate ta, the adjacent lawn, nor doos'it affect the. roots of flowors and troos It only kfls thase unwanted weeds and grasses .ta, which it in directly applied. Aloi also recommenda, other gardon]ing practices such as planting groundcovers for areas that wiil not b. otherwise planted such as areas around trees, shrubs and large perennials, ta, miniize maintenance throughout the. year. Thus, once the. lawn and. gardon are flourishing, lees time wiil b. spent controlling weeds and other pests. Other recommended low maintenance gardon tips include: e stake and tie tail porennials as they grow ta .promote strong limbe. e troat forming buds and flowers with iecommended tre. and shrub formulations ta doter mites and other damaging insecte. 0 water the gardon mor frequently and thoroughly during di wether, and only during the morning or later afternoon ta prevent scorching. e thorough watering promotes deep root penotration and enables planta ta withstand the stress of hot, dry weather more effectively. e remove damaged or diseasod growth from trees and shrubs'ta combat diseaso transmission ta, healthy branches. e roses are among the mont fragile flowiers -- deal with pits or brown spots immediately using- an ail-purpose rose and flower, dust. By simply spending more time planning and preparing the sal, ail the. plants purchased during that fr-antic afternoon at the local nursery are sureta benefit and provide households with ail cf their intended natural boauty. Design Chat By Karen Waterfield Design Consultant Rousseau Heritage House Ltd. Spring is definitely in the air, and with it cornes a desire to freshen up our decorating. Lighten the look of a formai room' by replacing silk arrangements with potted tulips or fresh cut bouquets of iris or Mies. Tuck your tapestry pillows away and choose bright yellow background print pillows to change the mood. Where you had a heavy framed print, put a sparkling new mirror, perhaps a fun shape like stars or sunbursts. Pull back lined drapery with a new tie back or twisted fabric to complement your new accessories. Take a littie time to dress your rooms for spring, and you wil enjoy the effort ail sumnmer long.