22 — Sunday, August 29, 1999 — North Shore News AS pretty as it looks, foliage around doors and win- dows can provide cover for a criminal breaking into your home. 1142 Boundary Rd. Burnaby, BC - north shore news 4 FOME & GARDEN leves reduci THERE was a day when private and rub- lic buildings were landscaped tc, enhance their appearance and provide an attractive setting for the struc- ture. Untortunately, some landscape designs are being dictated by the criminal cle- ment. Landscape architects and designers are being forced to concentrate more on security issues and less on esthetics. The “break and enter” criminals have made police and security people acutely aware of the problem of foliage around doors and windows. If they had their way, public buildings would have very little greenery obstructing the view of the structure from the street. They generally want all shrubs, bushes and trees cut to a level below the window or limbed up above the win- dow. Plants growing against NEWS photo Pau! McGrath SAVE. $7 5.00 | ON STUDENT DESKS If ordered by Oct. 6/99 (Approximately 8 weeks delivery) * Quality * Value * Choose from a standard of a custom design. Mon-Fri 8am-Spm Sat 10am-4:30pm walls or near doorways are also considered to be a a prob- lem. The police and security people scem to want every- thing visible from the com- fort of their patrol car rather that doing a walk around on foot. In the past we have gen- crally associated homeless- ness with the downtown core or East Side but the North Shore is no longer free of the probicm. Landscape’ maintenance pco- ple are finding bed rolls and evidence of people sleeping under trees and shrubs around public buildings. One downtown hospital facility has had to decimate . their landscaping to discour- age people from sleeping around the perimeter of the building. Drug addicts have become a more serious prob- lem for gardeners when it comes to cleaning up Icaves and debris around a public building. Used hypodermic needles are difficult to see and can cause a variety of infections. Cans and beortles are less of'a problem but picking up an unexpected piece of broken glass can be rae a real hazard. How can we train teenagers not to throw or break their bottles after consuming pop or beer? Another growing problem for homeowners and dand- scapers is the theft of plants. Apparently there is a ready market for specimen plants that have been installed in newly landscaped gardens, Thieves and or disreputable landscapers steal the plants from an open site and offer them to another client at a bargain price. The only evi- dence is a trail of spilled dirt as far as the truck box. Watch for plants without pots! . One way to foil thieves from removing expensive specimen plants is to anckor them in the ground. A small buried stake on each side of the plant with an attache wire running up and around the trunk will usually slow down and discourage would be thieves. Once the plant has become rooted the wire must be removed to prevent strangulation. Some landscape mainte- nance people have also had expensive power equipment stolen from job sites while they are working on the other side of the building. One unfortunate individeal had his truck stolen along with all his equipment. An alert has been issued by the B.C. Landscape and Nursery Association warning profes sionals and homeowners of the problem. There are a variety of ways to fo foil criminal activ- Vancouver: Dahlia-Society. is holding .its annual show and sale from 1 to 5 p.m:.on Saturday and from 1 to 4 p-m. on Sunday at VanDusen “Garden at 37th atid Oak St. in Vancouver. .Admission- is §3.. For more: information, _ call 584-5124; . SEPT. 11: “The Vancouver “Bonsai Club’s annual Show _and Sale rakes place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Cedar Room = at the VanDuser’ Botanical- Garden. at. 37th | and. Oak in Vancouver. Adinission i is $3. SEPT, 12: Feast of Fields is being held this: year‘ at Van Dusen Botanical Gardens in Vancouver. Join some of B.C.’s top restaurants, chefs, winemakers ‘and brewers in this fundraiser to benefit Farm - Folk. City Folk and landscapi itv in garden areas. Reporting suspicious activities to your neighbours, building managers or police. Installing low voltage night lights or motion sensor lights will help make garden areas less attractive to trespassers. Some landscape architects like to use prickly plants, such as berberis, around public buildings and this can as effective as stringing barbed wire. However, che maintenance of these plants is a major problem for the gardener. fF he one inch thorns will go through leather gloves or soft soled shoes. Motion sensor sprinklers may not stop thieves but are quite effective when it comes to discouraging people from sleeping around buildings. Water jets also work weil against some animals and herons. To protect some of the finest gardens and landscap- ing in the world, we need everyone’s cooperation including the use of their eyes, cars and voice. 900 Gardeners wanting to improve their knowledge and skills should check the course calenders published by the North Shore Continuing Education Department and VanDusen Botanical Garden. There is a wide variety of garden courses and seminars offered for the fall season. Register early to ensure a space in the program. VanDusen Garden. Now in its fifth year, FOF was for- merly held at the Glorious Garnish Farm in Aldergrove. Stroll the: garden and. enjoy nibblies. and drinks provided by. such: ‘outstand- ing Vancouver. : “Restaurants. Lumiere, : “900. West; Provence - Mediterranean Grill and - “the -Tealiouse in Stanley’ Park. will “ta The event runs from p.m. Advance tickéts dre $75 and available from Form Folk City Folk. at 730 garden information as: early as possi- ble to the North Shore News, 1139 Lonsdale Ave.,. North: Vancouver, B. G:, V7M 2H4.- Priority is given to fundrats-.. ing events and: shows taking place.¢ on the ‘North Shore. a olstering, © Custom Furniture . Draperies , ® Blinds © 988-2324.