Friday, October 5, 1990 ~ North Shore News - 413
Rar aw ERLE AT TER GOL SSN STORED OSC ED a LOE TSO SIG eT OT PENS

The GST and your garden

Even Geoff is talking about it...

EXCUSE MY ignorance, but just what does GST stand for

anyway?

Being a simple man of the
earth, I rarely have the time (or
the inclinaticn) to pay muh at-
tention to government propagan-
da. Now it seems that everyone 1
meet is chanting GST mantras. |
suppose it’s time to pull my head
out of the weeds (sand) and find
out what the fuss is about.

So far I’ve heard Grab Some
more Taxes, God Save the Tories,
and something called the Good
Service Tax. I like the last one
best. 2 think most of you will
agree that the government has
been ‘servicing’ us for years. If
giving them a little more money
encourages them to give me good
‘service’ then | shouldn't com-
plain. Or should J?

For me, taxes are a little like
steer manure. If a little bit is good
for the garden, why can’t I use a
lot? The main reason comes from
your plants’ inability to say when;
they will just keep on sucking it
up until they collapse. As grows
the garden, so goes the nation;
plants and fertilizers, government
and taxes; it’s all BS to me.

Yes, yes. I know this is a
garden column. Let's just say I
was simply trying to bring up the
subject of the GST so that I could
remind you to spend your money
now.

If you were thinking of making
some major purchases for or hav-
ing some major work done in the
garden, spend the money now.

Never before has the old phrase
‘Why wait for spring, do it now’
meant so much.

Lawn Care - If you have not fed
your lawn some time in the last 4
weeks, do so now. The thicker
and healthier the jawn is before
the onset of our typically wet
winter, the better it wili iook next
spring.

Using a fast-acting fertilize: hat
is high in nitrogen and contains
some iron will help fend off the
moss over the damp days ahead.
Dolomite lime also should be ap-
plied when the inevitable rains
begin to fall.

And speaking of falling, these
are the days when we must heed
Chicken Little’s warnings. The sky
may nol be falling but all those
leaves are about to; rake them up
as quickly as possible, before they
smother the turf below.

Grass suffocated by leaves left
ungathered or even by itself when
it is allowed to get too long, is
subject to disease, moss and thin-
ning. Maintaining a proper cutting
schedule will help to reduce risks.

Flower Beds - This Indian sum-
mer is really giving us our
money’s worth from our persistent
annuals; continue deadheading as
required. Do not let them go on
too long, however; they will only
act as a breeding ground for pests
and diseases after they have ex-
pired.

After clearing the beds, apply

WE WANT
TO MAKE
ONE THING
PERFECTLY
CLEAR.

F or as little as $379,
you can provide
your family with an
unlimited supply of
great tasting water
from Electrolux.

Choose from attrac- ;
tive countertop and under-
the-sink systems that deliver
purified water on tap from
$379 to $499.

Puretux Water
Purification systems
kill 99.9% of bacteria
and viruses (beaver
fever), while reducing
unwanted chlorine,
lead and other organic
contaminents.

E lectrolux—a name you know
and trust. Call your Electrolux
Branch Office today.

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146 West 16th Street, N. Van. 980-6507
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liberal amounts of bone meal and
work it into the soil. This will
build up the necessary reserves of
phosphorus and potassium needed
to produce the best flower

Geoff
Tobiasson

GVER THE GARDEN GATE

displays next year. It also supplies
calcium, which, among. other
things, sweetens the soil.

If you have yet to buy vour
bulbs, you should do so quickly as
the garden centres will already be

COLORED,
HOLLAND

% S

VANCOU

&

sold out of some varieties. Beware
false bargains; those packages of
under-sized bulbs sold) at loss
leader prices will not give a good
rate of return in the years ahead.

Most of your bulbs requ.
good drainage. Working liberal
amounts of washed fill-sand and
bone meal into the soil below the
bulbs will increase drainage and
enhance next year's performance.
For the imost part, bulbs planted
in fast draining locations will do
well for years to come.

Vegetable Beds - A good after-
harvest cleanup will go a long way
towards assuring you of success
next year. Getting rid of the weeds
before they seed will reduce their
numbers next year. As in the
flower garden, the quicker you are
at removing plants that are finish-
ed for the season, the fewer pest
problems you are likely to have
Next year.

Remember, we are GOING
GREEN ON THE NORTH
SHORE so do not throw those
weeds and expired plants inthe gar-
bage. If you have not already
started a compost pile, shame on
you and keep an eye out for a
future article on this topic.

Afterwards, rake out the beds
and plant a green manure crop

OVER 60 STYLES

OF CONCRETE
PLANTERS

oe

such as fall rye or vetch. Sow
vetch at the rate of | Ib./600 sq.
ft. and fall rye at fF 1b./300 sq. ft.
Once it has attained knee height,
turn it into soi! and let it compost
‘mn the ground. This will not only
teplace some of the organic mate-
rials lost during this past year, but
also suppress the growth and
spread of weeds.

Dolomite lime can be added
now; especially to those areas ex-
pected to produce cole crops (cau-
liflower, c2tt232, broccoli,
Brussels sprouts, and kohirabi).
Do not apply lime to areas reserv-
ed for next year’s potatoes; to do
so could cause scab.

Trees and Shrubs - It's a little
too early to begin major pruning
at this time, but don't be afraid to
tidy things up. Remove any dam-
aged or diseased branches as they
are found. In the case of diseas2,
pass the blade(s) of pruning toois
through a flame to avoid transfer-
ence to healthy tissue.

Fall is a great time to plant and,
as many garden centres are trying
to reduce inventory, many plants
are on sale. If you are looking to
renovate all or part of the garden,
get out there and get busy before
the government sticks its hand
out.

INTERLOCKING CONCRETE PAVERS FOR DRIVEWAYS AND PATIOS

NTERS
OVER 20
STYLES
OF WOOD
c Vwy,
Stow *
%, $9.95
TAA PONS

"e CEDAR GARDEN. © TREATED LANDSCAPE TIES

PATIO SLABS ;

- FURNITURE

a * SPLIT GRANITE. STONE oe

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