Create garden designs with buibs A HOME without landscaping is like a picture without a frame. Landscaping gives a home, and any other building, its own char- acter by adding color and form, highlighting good and concealing less attractive features. Autumn is an important time in home land- scaping; for one thing, that is when spring-flowering bulbs must be planted, If done properly, landscaping can reduce the time and cost in- volved in garden maintenance and make gardening less labor-inten- sive. Furthermore, attractive land- scaping can enhance the value of any property, making it more desirable for the prospective buyer as well as the owner. Although the beauty of flowers and plants is the feature io which we are all attracted, a good garden design takes many more factors into account. Often gardens follow a rigid format of planted perimeter borders and ste- teotyped lawns, with all areas of the garden simultaneousiy visible. One of the main faults in home gardening design is that they are too elaborately fussy. Not only does this clutter the appearance, but it usually means more work. Boidness and simplicity are a bet- ter guide to the shaping of both lawns and borders. The particular curves and angles are not impor- tant, nor is symmetry essential, if the garden is balanced in terms of visual interest. For instance, gardens with an open centre are usually more spacious looking and engagiig. Few gardeners take advantage of the incredible wealth of the world of plants to ensure that color and seasonality are reflected all year round. For instance, in natura! settings, bulb flowers are found growing in and among many other kinds of plants and flowers. So, it makes sense to in- legrate them throughout your garden, rather than planting them in isolation. Bulbs are used to their best ef- fect with companions, to harmo- nize, contrast or flower in alter- native seasons. Bulbs can be used to highlight associated foliage, br- ing color to leafless trees, or signal attention to attractive bark. They can create a foreground for BALCONY i: ENCLOSURES Gi: ae Tm CAN Ges 7 ae. J SOLARIUMS 16 - Friday. September 6. 1991 - North Shore News HOME & GARDEN Photo submitted MANY BULB flowers combine well for a dazzling spring display — such as the little white Anemone blanda and the purple tris reticulata. Both are winter hardy almost everywhere in Canada and among the first to bloom come spring. evergreens or surround them with color. In addition, in combination with carefully selected trees, shrubs, perennials — including ground covers ~- bulbs can con- tribute a great deal fo a labor- saving garden design. 3y blending alt of these elements in a natural- looking fashion, one can achieve a sense of changing spectacle and a succession of bloom with a mini- mum of effort. Many bulbs — and tubers, corms and rhizomes — can sustain themselves naturally for several years. Thanks to the ability of these plants to store reserve food in their underground parts, growth is resumed after a rest period. All kinds of bulbous plants are suitable for borders of mixed perennials, rock and heather gardens, and water and “natural”’ gardens, forest setiings. and grass-covered slopes. One factor all bulbs have in common is the need for well- drained soil. Heavy, wet earth leaves bulbs prey to rot and fungus. Thus, loose, sandy soil is preferable to clay, and slopes and hillsides often make excellent locations, especially for bulb displays that are meant to be left in place for a number of seasons. SAVE YOUR SUNDECK FROM WEATHER Yi See PROPICAMWA ‘Industries Ltd. 103 Riverside Drive, North Van. 929-3814 Bulbs in all of the recommend. ed locations can benefit fram an annual application of fertilizer and autumn is the time far fer- tilizing. No great advantage is gained from nutrients applied at or after flowering. In fact, as the soil warms up after the flowering period, nitrogen can stimulate de- velopment of the fungal disease fusarium, which is a major cause of bulb loss. Try the slow-release formula (9-9-6), recommended by experts, at a rate of four pounds per 100 square feet. In the first year, in- corporate it into the soil at plant- ing. In subsequent years, apply it over the soil surface at the usual planting time. The reward is a long-term visual pleasure and a garden that you can shape for years to come without an intensive investinent of material or money each season. eau MINI VERTICAL PLEATED SHADES mills Paint Sales Ltd. 985-6354 SHADE-O-MATIC” CUSTOM ij BLINDS | 40% OFF! * Avenue 307 Lonsdale B.C. Greenhouse Guders Ltd. 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