Photo submitted “ SNOWDROPS WERE given their name because they flower so early.: If weather conditions are right, these iitle white flowers can even be seen blooming before the fast flakes of snow have _melted in the ‘Spring sunshine. FLOWERS IN the winter are such _a'treat. Their bright. colors and sweet scents bring springtime just @ little bit closer. By observing a few simple. steps, you can make a ~ bouquet last even longer. * Temperature changes can shock flowers. Do not bring them direct- ty into-a warm room from the — - outdoors. Arrange them in a cool spot. and let. them acclimatize ‘slowly. Cur off, a bit of the stem before . placing them in water. If the ends have dried out, water absorption is impeded. . Remove the leaves from the lower end of the stem. Foliage ‘below the water line in the vase will rot quickly, contaminating the vase and shortening the flower’s life. Use only clean vases.. Wash and rinse with fresh water each time. Any dirt or grease left in the vase increases the risk of contaminating “"McCLEARY RESIDENCE" Kitchen & Bathroom Specialists The store with the Doggie in the window. 2990 Arbutus St. (@14th), Vancouver » 739-1110 LONETREE ENTERPRISES LTD. (Est. 1970) bacteria. To clean the base of a tall, nar- row vase, pour in some used cof- « fee grounds, and a bit of hot water. Swish them around for a while, empty the container and rinse with clean water. Never use floral foam (“‘Oasis’’) more than once for fresh flowers. Bacteria from the previous bou- .quet may continue to grow and shorten the vase-life of the new bunch. Arbutus menziesii or ‘coramon’ arbutus not so common a tree AN OLD friend of mine once said that common plants just weren’t worth having. I am sure these. words were spoken more to emphasize his preference for challenging plants rather than an outright expression of distaste for ’ garden favorites. As I look at many of the plants, common to our local garden cen- tres, | have no trouble under- standing why he might say this.: It is an unfortunate fact that many commercial growers raise varieties that are. easy to pro-- pagate and grow rather than those which represent the best a species has to offer. It is true that some plants are simply not commercially viable. In other words, the cost of trying to produce them far exceeds the.con- sumer’s willingness to pay the price. If it is difficult to propagate in numbers, hard to grow to a mar- ketable size or tough to transplant, chances are you are unlikely to see it in the nursery. The Madrone or ‘‘common’’ arbutus (arbutus menziesii) repre- sents all of the above. Although seeming to sprout like weeds out of the sand and gravel | along the roadsides of West Van- couver, they are very difficult to grow from seed in any quantity. .. They are also virtually impossi- ble to grow from cuttings. Exacting soil requirements make it unfeasible to raise these plants in containers and. therefore com- mercial production is limited. It is even more unproductive trying to rear a crop in the field as the ultra-sensitive roots are too susceptible to root rot to allow for .successful transplanting. So what is the point of writing a how-to article on a project: as pointless ‘as trying to. grow an ar- butus tree in the garden? Well, it ‘is obviously not as fruitless as { make it out to be. First there are those of you who are fortunate enough to have an existing arbutus in the garden. - And there are those of you who fez] compelled to prove me wrong . Goctt Tobiasson OVER THE GARDEN GATE by simply walking into the woods, yanking one out of. the’ ground and transplanting it into ‘the = landscape — successfully, yet... If you happen to be one of the -fortunate, here are a few tips that might increase your chances cf contained success. : As. with all plants, the best clues to arbutus care lie in their natural environment. . The most prolific stand on the _Lower Mainland runs.across the. slopes of the North Shore. moun- tains just above the Upper Levels Highway. The. combination of our some- what soggy weather patterns and the fast-draining soils found here_ ’ provide the right balance of heavy drenching followed by -near-” drought conditions. Although you will find ‘quite a few arbutus trees growing. in the shade, they are. generally spindly - and rather stretched out.” . If you want to enjoy. the full benefits of a well-branched, ’ See Arbutus page 20. “Living with the Bese a The Best Kitchens/Baths Are Well Planned ‘ Protect your investment! Ensure the beauty and efficiency of your new kitchen/bath through proper planning. 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