I ETE ey ET TPE RARE TIRE NCEA TTR EES OEE TTRIM BENE OP ROMY NOTA La TCM PROT TN ROTI ECAR ARAR TAME CRS YER, & Seg cs 1 eran WEITER IS PELE NOP Y RI ARM ET ET EN TR URI RE OTE ot tt HOME & GARDEN | eS Friday. September 21, 1990 ~ North Shore News - 13 You can take it with you Moving doesn’t mean leaving behind prize acer palmatum ‘Shishigashira’ MOST OF the residents of the Greater Vancouver area have cither recently moved cr given it serious consideration over the last year. My wife and I are no exception. The upside? A possible in- provement in housing, maybe a quick buck or $100,000, perhaps it's a better job, or just a zeneral improvement in the quality of life. But what about the dawnside? Leaving neighborhood friends, turning our backs on the old homestead, packing and, the hor- ror of horrors, micving itself (shudder). Then there is the special plight of us gardeners. It's one thing to bid adieu to kith and kin, but what about our treasury of plants? Surely you can‘t expect me to leave my acer palmatum ‘Shishigashira’ or rhododendron ‘Hawk Crest’. There is a well-known adage that firmly suggests you can’t take it with you. I am here to tell you how you can do just that, as regards moving and prize plants. If you follow a few simple rules and keep the minimum require- ments of your plants in mind, you should have no problems. It mat- ters not whether you move across the street or across the country, the basic principles are the same. EXAMPLES: Oak Nite Stands Oak 5 Piece Bedroom Suite Pine 4 Piece Bedroom Suite Oak Desk Pine Desk Oak Buffet & Hutches Pine T.V. Stands Oak T.V. Stand with Swivel OAK! PINE! OAK! FACTORY CLEARANCE SALE © NO REFUNDS * NO LAYAWAYS * NO EXCHANGES * NO PHONE ORDERS ADD 2% FOR VISA OR M/C USAGE ON ANY CLEARANCE ITEMS This is our most popular event. Many missed out before because they waited too long. These are only on selected items. So hurry! Ist come, best choice! Limited quantities, ‘As is“ 2-Tone Custom Grade 9 pc. Dining Suite ALL OLD STOCK COFFEE & END TABLES 50% off req. price AND MUCH MUCH MOKE Point number ane, put it in the interim agreement! I can't overemphasize how important this is. $f you sell the house without noting that you intend to remove a five-foot rhododendron, prepare yourself for problems; expensive problems. Sentiment does not enter into it, Ht matters not that you planted it on top of Fluffy, the expired fam- ily cat, or even Aunt Agnus, If you remove any fixture (including plants) from the property after the final inspection by the new owner; you may be required to replace it. At roughly $500 per five-foot thododendron, not noting your intentions on the interim agree- ment could become a very expen- sive oversight. Be specific. List the botanical name and location for each plant. Include a map if at all possible. Next on our dos and don'ts list of getting them out of the ground. I suppose I should note for those unimaginative nit-pickers out there that we are discussing garden- grown plants. Potted plants do not have the same restraints on them. Reg. Clearance 249.95 62.49 4899.75 1399.95 1099.95 699.95 899.95 400.60 349.95 199.95 5099.60 2950.00 2499.95 1175.00 299.95 199.00 429.95 275.00 Geoff Tobiasson OVER THE GARDEN GATE As they are not ‘‘fixed’ in place, they need not be noted in agreements to sell nor are they likely to suffer transplant shock. Just protect them while they are in transit. Garden plants are another story. You are about to cut their roots off. Imagine having major surgery, then being shoved into a van, squished between the dish- washer and the piano and travel- ling like that for two days across the country. Smaller garden shrubs and her- baceous perennials are easy. Usually, vou do net even need to bother with pots. You can simply pack them securely into a sturdy box. As long as the reots remain sufficiently moist and top-growth is protected fram injury, a short- term stay in a box will do no harm. if you feel as though it might take you a while to get your plants back into the ground, they are better off in pots. Do not try to cram 4 large root system into a small pot. Make sure there is enough room for soil that will hold the moisture needed between waterings. Ever notice how heat can build up inside the car on a sunny day, even if the outside air temperature is low? Keep this in mind during the move — unless you have a taste for baked rhododerdron. Park in the shade and give your plants some fresh air whenever possible. The larger the plant, the larger the problem. If you have any es- tablished trees that you just can't leave behind, and you are not planning to move for at least four months, think about root pruning. The idea here is to cut back the majority of the root system to a manageable size without lifting it out of the ground. In four or more months those pruned roots will have developed uew feeder roots back toward the centre of the root ball. Now when it is fi- nally lifted, the tree (or large shrub) will have sufficient root growth to survive the move. Try to make arrangements with the new owners 10 move your plants during the most favorable time of the vear. Fall is the best time Of the year to attempt mov- ing your plants. Once the leaves of the surrounding trees begin to drop, your plants are beginning to become dormant. Next best season is spring, while summer is the worst. There are few plants which can tolerate be- ing moved during the heat of late spring or summer. If moving your loved plants during this period is likely to cause their demise, you will have to ask yourself if it’s really worth it. Along the same lines, remember the hardiness of your plant rela- tive to where you are moving. I am sure you would not be thrilled at the prospect of watching Fluf- fy’s rhodo withering away during its first psairie winter. COLORED, INTERLOCKING CONCRETE PAVERS FOR DRIVEWAYS AND PATIOS OVER 60 STYLES OF CONCRETE PLANTERS OVER 20 STYLES OF WOOD oe 4 $9.95 Tangpors