ae GREEN GUIDE is a weekly Suuday column. [If vour busi- ness or charity is planning a sardening event, send in sour information as carly as possible ta the North Shore News, 1139 Lousdale Are., North Vancouver, BC, V7M 2H-+4. Priority is niven to fundraising events and shows taking place an the North Shore. EVERY WEDNESDAY & SATURDAY: Tours of the main garden at the UBC Botanical Garden will be given by the Friends of the Garden at 11 a.m. The tour is included with the price of adnaission. To arrange group tours for the Main Garden and the Nitobe Garden, call 822-9666. The UBC Botanical Garden is located at Healthy “You are what you eat.” We've all heard it a million times. When some of us were kids, we ignored it and maybe _ even mocked our parents when they said ic, But as we grew up, most of us realized that proper nutrition is neces- sary for good health. The same can be said for your lawn — your lawn is what iy cats — or, more appropviately, what you teed it. Most of us accept that our lawns must be watered and mowed for good health, but many of us think that fertiliz- ing our lawns is optional. It's not. Grass has a tough life. Grass plants are chrown into the soil, crowded together in competition for water and nutrients with cack other, neighboring trees and shrubs. For grass plants, it’s survival of the fittest, and lawns must be fertilized for grass plants to have a chance at survivak Just as most people's bod- ies demand three square meals a day, your lawn demands two square meals a year — one feeding a month alter the lawn starts growing and another feeding a month before your lawn goes dor- mant. Spring fertilization is nec- essary to replenish your lawn’s MAPLE OAK KITCHENS QUALITY CABINETRY SERVICE © SAVINGS MAPLE «© OAK «© PINE LACQUILRS © LAMINATES: 6804 Southwest Marine Dr., Vancouver. FRIDAY, APRIL 10, SAT- URDAY, APRIL lt & SUNDAY, APRIL 12: The annual Bradner Flower Show focuses on the many varieties of daffodils grown in’ the Abbostford arca, this vear more than 400 diffeent blooms will be on) display. Displays from other growers will also be featured and hanging baskets potted plants and cut flowers offered) for sale. Admission to the sale is just SI and the Tea room will be stocked with goodies and dinner will be served) both Friday and Saturday evening from 5 to 7 p.m. Proceeds will go fo) community projects, inchiding children’s sports. For more information, call Donna Eaves at (604) 856- 3558. SATURDAY, APRIL 18 & SUNDAY, APRIL 19: In conjunction with the Alpine Garden Club of B.C. Show the B.C. Primula Group pre- sents a Primrose Show and Sale trom noon to 5 p.m. on Sarurdav and 10 am. to 4 p.m. on Sunday. ‘The show will feature primroses, auricu- las, cadelabras, cowslips and more. Tt takes place at the north shore news GARDENING Floral Hall at) VanDusen Gardens, 5231 Oak St, Vanconver. Admission is free. For further information, call 274-0551. SATURDAY, MAY 2: As part of the 10th annual Burnaby Rhododendron Festival, the Burnaby Rhododendron and Garden Society and the Shadbolt Centre for the Arts are please to announce a special lecture entithed The Garden Heritane of Southwest’ Enqlaud, 7 pem. at the Studio Theatre at the Shadbolt Centre tor the Arts. 6450 Deer Lake Ave., Burnaby. The speaker, ‘Terry Underhill, is Southwest England's leading garden wniter, TV personality, and a long-time teacher of horticul- ture at Darlington Hall in Devon. The evening ts to include a wine and cheese reception followed by the pre- sentation, For tickets (S12, $10) for seniors) call 205- 3000.1s one of taany activ ties planned for the nwo-day festival which includes tree events such as naturalist tours, workshops in) watercolors. thodedendron culture and floral phetography as well as a spring Hower display and shaw, grub for grass food reserves that have been used in the first flush of spring growth, During the fail, your lawn is storing food in the root sys- tem to allow it to grow under- ground during the dormant season — so the fall fertiliza- tion is the most important one of all. What does your lawn need? Grass plants need three essential nutrients, Nitrogen is needed for a healthy green color and grass blade growth. Phosphorus is needed for healthy root development, and potassium provides for disease and drought resis- tance. To determine how much of these nutrients your fawn needs, conduct a soil test by taking several random plugs of sor from around the lawn. Dig down six to eight inches tor the samples. Remove any grass blades, roots and stems. Mix the soil and fabel it “Lawn.” Send your soil samples tu a soil test lab. The lab results will tell vou the pH of your soil —- if its toa acid or too alkaline — pius the major nutrients your soil needs. With your lawn, an apple a day won't keep the doctor away, What will keep the doc- tor away — the lawn doe, that is — is proper nutrition and proper care the whole vear through. Ellen Henke is a botanist, garden writer and Jolma Deere fawn and garden expert. WORKROOM DIRECT PRICES! 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N AVENUE, NORTH VANCOUVER 985-0234 Dd. iNVACAZVT? 3D [rr rnennncnnd ' Loe Or ne ERE ER OAR FEET TREE PE ETN me mem commie,