Is your garden the best on the North Shore? ‘IPS GREEN thumbs up for the North Shore Gardens 87 : Contest and organizers are calling all gardeners from Deep Cove to Horseshoe Bay to enter the competition. The contest began last year ; as a celebration of Expo 86 and : altracted over 80 entries. Vol- ! unteers pulling it all together ‘ again this year hope to make the contest an annual event, First prize winners in the res- ' dential city lotsize garden cat- ! egors, Nigel and Barbara Bunn- ' ing of West Vancouver, entered - _ their garden in a contest for the : first time last year. “We made our garden totally : from scratch. When we came + here 30 sears ago, it was just a : brumble heap. We've done Peserything ourselves by hand, i hoe, pick and wheelburrow," ' said Barbara Bunning. ’ A labor of love for Nigel, 30 i sears of puttering about paid off with « prize and community recognition. “He caises fuchsias : and peraniums from seed in our greenhouse and I'm the dog's i body.” said Bunning, **We've ; made the most of what we've i got and the garden is full of flawers." : i Yhe Bunnings don't plan on i entering the contest this year. | They'd like. to-tet others have a _ try at winning, | The-two basic categories for the: contest are residential and ; commercial. i Home gardeners. may enter small or large gardens, balcony or patio gardens as well as} vegetable gardens. Contestants are not restricted to entering in just one category. Gardens may be judged during any month between wow to September. The commercial category for both small and large wardens | includes store-front planting, gas stations, apartment and condominium fandscaping and other communal garden enter- prises. Final date to cegister is July 3h. Entry forms can be obtained from all three municipal halls. community’ centres, libraries, garden centres and on page 20 of today's North Shore News. Further information may be ob- tained by phoning the chairman of the contest committee, Dirk Dostindie at 986-9149 between & amand4p.m. The North Shore Gardens %7 Contest is being co-sponsored by the North Share News, Maple Leaf Garden Spots, West San- couver Florists, Dyhott Nurseries and Capilano Nurseries Led, Just across the street to the Burger King Plaza (7 - Pridas, TAKE A CHANCE duly 3. 1987 - North Shore News Exotic plants possible to grow in Lotus Land OUR EASTERN | brothers call us the Californias of the North, and we delight in it. We take pleasure in simple, yet malicious acts such as sending them pictures of our December rases and shipp- ing them fresh holly; which invariably dries up into useless twigs by the time it arrives. Meanwhile, as we busy ourselves with these childish pranks and smugly chortle under our breaths, our smart ass cousin in L.A. sends us pictures of his palm tree in the front yard, nicely trimmed in Christmas lights or bis version of the traditional poinsettia, $2. feet high and trimmed with hedge shears. I find it unfair; we should be allowed our affections. As a miat- ter of fact, 1] strongly recommend you ignore cousin Beau and enhance your fantasies with plants which would be considered halt- hardy at best, and quite probably too tender for our climate. Examples of plants which can assist us in our delusions are the common. ones such as fuchsias, gardenias and hibiscus to more ex- otic treats like palm trees, passion vines and citrus trees. HW you wish to take the extra time, it wousd even be possible to keep some of these specimens from year to year. Think of the aggrava- Visit our old store next to Suzuki Now. For hundreds of clearance bargains including prints, posters, framed, unframed, stock frames and: Ea. BES NEI, BY All our Metal and Top 50 Wood Custom Frames Mats, Glass, Mounting, Stretching and Labour!?! ICTURES & FRAMES Marine Drive North Vancouver These offers also apply at our West Vancouver location! 984-8469 Hon you could cause with a six- foot tree hibiscus, three inches across at the trunk, or @ fragrant jasmine vine wrapped around the fence beside the pool, directly on to the pot can make life easier with regards to lifting, but it could be ineonvenient around replanting time. It will eventually get to a pot size over the garden gate by Geoff Tobiasson If you are going to trv to keep one of these plants remember not to plant it in too large a container initially, as this can lead to over watering during the winter periods. Rather you should move up two inches ata time and wait until the plant really requires potting on be- fore you move it. As the pot gets larger, start thinking of some form of platform on wheels (a plant caddy) to move it around on. Putting the castors which proves to be the maximum you are able to move with safety; when this occurs, simply begin a program of pruning every fall, be- ing careful to balance top growth with root growth. In other words, try to prung the reot system at the same time and to the same degree as you would the top growth, The tricky bit is in the moving of the plants from the outside to the See Experiment Page 18 50% OFF ALL LABOUR ON... ® drapes @ slip covers * reupholstery * comforters & bedspreads * custom built furniture Offer held over to July 17/87: “ "C. O.M. orders do not apply “INTERIORS : North’ ‘Vancouver. . § 1099 Marine. Drive Phone 98: 6148 - , 3004 wW. ‘Alst-Ave _Phone: 261: 227!