Gardening without grief
takes advance thought

THE SUNNY skies and balmy
breezes of spring lure many peopie
outdoors to spruce up their lawns,
plant flower gardens and cultivate
vegetable seedlings. Gardening can
be fun in spring's welcome air.

To make sure your pleasure
doesn’t lead to pain this year. keep
in mind these tips for preventing
back strain, overexposure to the sun
and exposure to harmful chemicals.
fH Start slowly.

Back strain may occur if you've
been relatively inactive through the
winter and suddenly decide on a
marathon session of yard work.

Poorly conditioned muscles are
more susceptible to injury. Start
slowly, with 20- to 30-minute peri-
ods of work, and pace yourself.

4 Stretch those muscles.

Whether you're in shape or not, _
‘always start with gentle arm and leg .

stretches. Stretching warms up your
muscles and increases flexibility.
@ Avoid fatigue.

If you're tired before you begin,
don't start at all. If you get tired
while working, stop and rest.
Fatigue puts you at greater risk of
accident and injury.

@ Pick the proper tool.

Lightweight tools with long han-
dles generally are best. They help
you avoid fatigue and bending
motions that encourage back strain.
@ Use correct technique. ‘

When raking,- don't bend and
twist your torso. Keep your back
straight and use your arms and legs
in a smooth, coordinated rocking
motion, ~

As you move the rake forward
for leaves or grass clippings, shift
your body weight to your front
foot. As you pull the rake back,

_ Shift weight to your back foot. It
3 will.take practice and you may huff
- and puff a litle more, but this tech-
nique js kinder to your back.
@ Lift with your legs.

Don't bend from the waist to
lift. Instead. squat with one foot
slightly ahead of the other to give
yourself a stable base. Point your
toes outward. Keep your back
straight and bend your knees. Don’t
bend over from your waist. Tighten
your abdominal muscles and lift by
using your Jeg muscles to raise your
body and the load.

@ Hold the load close to your
body. -

The farther a load is positioned
in front of you, the greater the pres-
sure on your spine. It’s tempting to
hold a load away from your body,
especially when lifting items like
sod, mulch or flats from the trunk
of your car.

To prevent undue strain, place
one foot on the rear bumper and
lift, holding the load cloge to your
chest.

If the object is too heavy, don’t
lift it by yourself. Even @ bag of
leaves may be heavier than you
think.

Be wise around wheelbarrows.

Pushing a wheelbanow carries a
special risk. With a heavy Joad, the
wheelbarrow may abruptly shift to
one side, jerking your arms and
twisting your back.

Use a wheelbarrow for light
loads only. For heavy loads. use a
dolly and push the Joad.

@ Pretect yourself from the sun.

Wear a sunscreen or sunblock.
The sun and its ultraviolet rays are
the main cause of skin cancer.

If you want full protection from
sunbums, use an SPF-15 sunscreen,
regardless of your skin type. If you
have extremely sensitive skin, use a
total sun block such as zine axide
ointment,

If you're at high risk, wear a hat
and a cover up as much as possiole.

Be sure to use a sunscreen even on
cloudy or hazy days. Burning rays
can penetrate cloud cover.

Use sunsereens properly.

Sunsereens do not live up to
their claims if you use them
improperly. Apply the product lib-
erally all over exposed areas of
your body. Don't forget cars and
the back of your neck,

The tops of your knees and your
feet, as well as arms and shoulders
are especially vulnerable when
you're gardening.

Apply the sunscreen about 45
minutes before going outside to
allow the protective chemicals to be
absorbed into your skin.

Be aware that lawn chemicals
may be hazardous.

Lawn chemicals do produce an
eye-pleasing expanse of green but
no one knows for sure how toxic
they are.

Many lawn care companies
maintain that, properly applied, the
chemicals are essentially harmless.
Sull. experts don't agree on the

GRES
Outdoor Lighting

possible long-term health effects of
exposure lo lawn chemicals.

@ Be careful when using lawn
chemicals.

Wear impermeable gloves and
shoes, a long-sleeved shirt, a
breathing mask and protective eye-
wear,

Many pesticides are easily
absorbed through skin and can be
harmful if inhaled. Many chemicals
may be toxic to birds and pets.

M Consider a low-chemical
approach to lawn care.

Select the right seeds. Planting a
variety of seeds helps your grass
win oul over weeds.

Choose pest-resistamt grass
seeds well-adapted to your area.
Water thoroughly for deep roots,
but not too often. Use a mower with
a sharp blade set at two inches.
Taller grass blocks sun and inhibits
growth of weeds.

Reprinted with permission from
Mayo Foundation for Medical
Education and Research, and Mayo
Clinic.

RAM/LUCKY
Tiffany Lamps

Swin

 NatuteShop

Make your
yard

come alive!

HUMMINGBIRDS ARE BACK

Drop in for free advice and list of plantings to
attract hummingbirds & butterflies to your garden.
BIRDBATHS - NEST BOXES
SQUIRREL FEEDERS & BAFFLES
“WE BRING JRE TOGETHER”

y
f i: 4 uA: : ‘

yam

‘4
ros

Mon.-Fri. 9:30-6

Sat. 9:30-5
a 88-

oats

Combine errands instead of using the car
several times a day, plan trips to reduce
vehicle use,

Greater
Vancouver
Regional
istrict

“ me
Ceiling Mounts 20%

Arm

with Silk Shade

expires Mar.31/94 |

Enter to win a Tiffany lam

value ed! 5

Mon-Wed
Thur-Fri
Sat

Sun

9-6:00pm
9-9:00pm
9-5:30pm
12-5:00pm

OLD POST OFFICE

ONSDALE

We're here
East tst St.

i