y
TAT

. arundinacea).

WE HAVE all been sub-
jected to the rumors of new
wonder-grasses that prom-
ise to eliminate the need for
the lawn mower.

Geoff —
FTobiasson

-OVER THE GARDEN GATE

Even. though I have left the
front lines of the garden centre, !
_ amc<still filled with dread each time
‘one of these tall tales about short
.. Brasses hits the streets.

/ Itis this residual panic that has
prompted .me to suppress the
emergence of these rumors. I have
consistently refused to offer any
support to these claims, calling
them marketing ploys and outright
ies...

I know the damage that these
tall tales can cause.

-Nothing can arouse the . beast

-/ that jurks in the heart of the

homeowner like that of.the prom-

_ ised extinction of the lawn mower.

Not carefree aluminum siding, not
Stain-proof carpets, not even burn-

- ing the mortgage!

Most see the mower as a bdall

‘and chain and suggestions of its

imminent removal can illicit cries

_ Of”, .“*Free at last! Lord, almighty,

I’m free at last!”’

‘You can ‘therefore understand
my “reluctance. to tell you of the
merits .of Tail ~Fescue (festuca

Recent improvements in this

m species -have produced new,
' semi-dwarf, slower-growing

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forms. The key here is slower
growing. This does not mean zero
growth, it means reduced growth.
It does not mean extinct lawn
mowers, it means under-worked
lawn mowers.

Not all varieties of tall fescue
are slower growing; some can ac-
tually grow faster. Recent evalua-
tion trials conducted at agricul-
tural research facilities in B.C.,
Cregon and Washington have in-
dicated that certain semi-dwarf
introductions display characteri-
stics that indicate reduced re-
quirements for mowing.

The varieties that proved to be
the most reliable performers in
each of the Pacific Northwest
locations were f.a. ‘Arid’? and
fa. “Rebel 11.”

While fia. ‘‘Falcon,” f.a.
“Mustang”? and f.a. ‘‘Tribute’’
did not offer the same consistently
high scores as those mentioned
above, they were still grouped
amongst those that were consid-
ered to have performed satisfac-
torily.

The above trials indicated that
these new varieties were suitable
for sun as well as medium shade.
They were of finer texture than
old. standbys such as Kentucky
Bluegrass and were also superior
in color. And it gets even better!

The extraordinarily deep and
massive root structure of the tall
fescues enables them to suffer
drought better than most other
turfgrass species. This means you
can put the sprinkler and hose in-
to semi-retirement as well as the
lawn mower.

The average established tall
fescue lawn should require no
more than two sprinklings per
week as opposed to others that
need it every second day.

The tall fescues have also dem-
onstrated the ability to beat out
some weeds and perform better in
the high-acid soiis common to our

Thomasville

NOTIFICATION OF

IOME & G

Debunking tall tales about short grasses

area, This should reduce your
need for weedkillers, but do not
eliminate the dolomite lime as the
calcium it contains is still a re-
quired nutrient.

They do not spread by under-
ground runners or rhizomes as do
many other, more common, turf-
grasses. This will allow you to
forego the lawn edging and reduce
weeding in your neighboring
flower beds. This attribute also
raises our first problem, however.

As they do not spread to the
same degree as their cousins, they
will not recover as quickly from
incidental or traffic damage.

This will mean that you should
consider over-seeding at least
every other year to maiatain a
thick, lush stand. This is a prac-
tice that I recommend even for
lawns that are not comprised of
tall fescue.

The whole point of the exercise
is to create a lawn that requires
less maintenance; it would

. ON SATURDAY, Feb. 29,
1992, the Greater Vancouver
Home Builders Association
(GVHBA) and B.C. Hydro will

Building’’ seminar.

Offered to inform consumers
on all aspects of home con-
. Struction and technology, the
seminars are presented by a
group of housing experts in-
cluding consultants, architects
and designers, association
trainers, B.C. Hydro repre-
sentatives and industry leaders.

The topics covered range
from framing and _ insulation
techniques tc windows and
doors; from heating and

hold a ‘‘What’s New In Home _

3 DAYS ONLY!

PRICE REDUCTIONS

Under the Free Trade Act tariffs
on U.S. goods have been
reduced plus the higher-vatued
Canadian dollar has resulted
in lower prices. These savings
have been passed on
to our clients.

NOW FOR THE
BIG SAVINGS

For a very limited time
Thomasville is giving its
Canadian galleries a
promotional price on 9 styles
(9 out of 28) allowing us to give
you 30% off ary promo pieces.

_ 3a |
Collector's Cherry:.?

avery important collection of eighteenth
century designs by Thomasville.

685-8414

1080 Mainland Street
at Heimeken
Downtown
Vancouver, B.C,

Friday, February 28, 1992 - North Shore News - 13

4&4 The deep and massive root

structure of the tall fescues enables

them to suffer drought better than

most other turfgrass species. 99

therefore be counter-productive to
include other species of grass in
your seed mix. Normally, 1 would
oppose this idea as monostands
such as these are more susceptible
to disease, but this could be an
exception.

I would rather see a polystand

Seminar answers. home-building questions

fireplaces to ventilation codes
and systems; from thermostats
and controls and domestic
water heaters to appliances and
lighting.

As well, ample time is set
aside to include an open forum |
for questions and answers.

Also included is information
about the B.C. Hydro-spon-
sored Quality Plus Home.
Defined as a quality . built
home, incorporating top-of-
the-line materials and techno-
logy and constructed by
specially trained builders, the
Quality Plus Home features in-
creased insulation, efficient
heating and mechanical heat

9 Thomasville styles |

9 styles. 11 different finishes. 223 dining
pieces to choose from. You seilect—the style
—the wood—the finish and the size of each ©

piece. All are open stock so you may pick

the pieces you can afford. Never has the
home maker had such a great choice of
fine quality dining furniture at big savings.

1 ovai table,

Now Two Big Locations

CANADA'S LARGEST THOMASVILLE GALLERY

lOoWinrs

THOMASVILLE GALLERY

MONDAY TO SATURDAY 9 A.M. TO 4 PM. SUNDAY NOON TO 4 PM.

4 chairs & buffet from $3,057 |

This sale is for a very limited time.

.the look of 18th century country manors by Thomasville.

(two or more varieties) that in-
cluded 2 grass with similar charac-
teristics. One of-the fine fescues
(festuca’ rubra) such as fr.
“Dawson”’ will blend in well with
your tall fescue without
diminishing its lower maintenance
aspects too severely.

exchange and ventilation
systems. .” me,

The Quality Pius Home is
further guaranteed to offer the
optimum in cost efficiency,
comfort and quatity. :

The seminar occurs on
Saturday, Feb. 29 from 9.a.m.
to 4 p.m. at the Fraser Valley. .
Real Estate Board, 15463-
104th Ave. in Surrey. The cost
to attend is $45 per person or .
$70 per couple and includes:
lunch and information man-.
uals. my

Pre-registration is required.
Call the GVHBA office to reg-
ister or for more information
at 590-5256, or fax 591-1760.

435-5566
4240 Manor Street
Burnaby, B.C.
(Half a block west of
Sheraton Villa Hotel)