| Nature-scaping on the N. Shore Nortii Vancouver bulbs blooming By Layne Christensen Community Reporter THE North Shore’s municipal gardens and parks are getting back to nature. In the City of North Vancouver, 45,000 bulbs are Preparing to flower into color- ful displays in the coming weeks. Less obvious to passers- by are the green spaces and creeksides where municipal workers have planted huckle- berry, honeysuckle and black hawthorn. Allan Moore, horticulture and facilities foreman for the City of North Vancouver's Parks department, sees the use of native plants.and grasses in public spaces as a trend. “Everybody’s trying to be environmentally more enlight- ened,” says Moore. Other municipalities like Coquitlam have taken to “nature-scaping” urban parkland. Two years ago the District of West Vancouver’s Parks depart- ment installed a garden at the foot of 18th Street, at the entrance to the seawall, that features 38 species of native trees, shrubs and perennials, including arbutus, coastal " ADVERTISEM strawberry and meadow foxtail. The 18th Sireet garden’s designer is Dave Hutch. Hutch is currently Parks Designer with the City of North Vancouver. The City’s manager of Parks and Environment Bill Granger says the effort is being made to design new planting areas with AH many native plants as possi- ec. Last summer, the City tar- geted Wagg Creek Park, at Mahon Ave. and 20th Sr. Workers removed turf grass and installed mostly native plant material to increase native habi- tat and biodiversity. Fruit- and seed-bearing shrubs and trees like salmonberry and beaked hazelnut will provide feed for birds. Small trees like ninebark planted creekside will provide shade for fish the City hopes will one day return to the stream. Last fall, City workers plant- ed the median area on Lonsdale berween Ist and 3rd streets with native ground covers and low-growing shrubs, as well as arbutus. Currently in the design phase are a native wildflower meadow planned for. the old fountain area at city hall and a revegetation of the hillside at Cloverly Park. Eastern arrangement THE Capilano Flower Arranging Club recently welcomed a visit by Gold Medal designer Irantaj Zargarpour. A graduate of the Art Academy of Munich, the West Van res- ident has practised ikebana, the Japanese art of flower arrang- ing, for 25 years, She is also skilled in European arranging. Before settling on the North Shore, Zargarpour lived in Iran, Aftica, Germany, France, Spain and Belgium. She has IRANTAJ Zargarpeur shapes baby's- breath, phalaencpsis and asparagus fern into a freestyle ike- bana arrangement. painted and taught art while living in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Zargarpour is an active member of the Vancouver Ikebana Association, Sogetsu- Vancouver Branch; B.C. Floral Art Society and the B.C. Guild of Flower Arrangers. For more information about the Capilano Flower Arranging Club, call Donna at 986- 9360. — Layne Christensen OTHER HOME RENOVATION SHOW KIDS BUILD BIRD HOUSES WHILE ADULTS BUILD THEIR NESTS AT THE ROME RENOVATION SHOW April 3-6, 1997, Pacific Collseum FREE “build and take home your own bird feeder” workshops are being offered for kids and families who visit The Home Renovation at the Pacific Coliseum from April 3 to 6, 1997. Billed as the Iargest focused tenovation show in British Columbia, The Home Renovation Show is a brand new show for Vancouver with over 150 exhibitors offering one-stop shopping for the latest new renovation products and services. Revy Home & Garden will provide over 50) pre-cut wood birdfeeder kits, hammers and nails wad guide the kids through the project! Best of afl the proud mini-buitders will be able to take their bird feeders home! Kids Birdfeeder Workshop Schedule Friday. April 4 Saturday, April 5 Sunday, April 6 4pm - 6pm 2 pm- 4pm t pm - 3pm HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE * Revy Home & Garden “How- To” Demos For the adults, she sior-stop action at the shuw wilt include hands-on demonsaations by the only Canadian-vwped one stop shop for home improvements, Revy Home & Garden. Revy's team of home renovation special- ists will be continuously demon- stsating everything from laying hardwood floors gtd ceramic tiles to ine latest “ragging™ and “smooshing” techniques in Faux Finishing. * The Interior Decor Stage will feature entertaining decorating topics and practical ideas from some of the most knowledgeable interior designers and decorators in the industry. * Win a Dream Kitchen valued at over $40,000! Sce this amaz- ing kitchen at the show, Every show visitor will have a chance to Enter to Win! * Plug into Pewer Smart with Sheil Busey at the B.C. Hydro Stage! Western Canada's one and only Home Renovation guru. © The Home Renovation Show Main Stage. Presentations on everything from the use of colour to interior decorating to the legal and planning implications of Home Renovation. Entertaining, informative and practical hands-on demonstra- tions combined with over 150 purely renovation displays and exhibits allows the Home Renovation Show to offer an alternative !o Home Shows with too many “slicers and dicers”. The location also allows you to take advantage of affordable and easily accessible on site parking, a refreshing solution to the increasingly crowded and expen- sive downtown parking problem. bara es as NEWS photo Terry Peters Coastal Improvements Lid, Friday, Aprit 4, 1997 — North Shore News — #3 NATIVE shrubs, plants and: grasses were pianted in Wagg Creek last summer to increase the biodiver- sity of the area and encourage the return of fish and wildilfe. An added bonus for Gordon Ramsdaie (left) and fellow municipal gardeners: nature-scap2s are fower maintenance than traditional floral Ste displays. Project Management ; un your own Business from home? BCAA invites you to a special evening presentation to launch our new Home Business Insurance. Join us for an evening of valuable s information and find out why your ‘standard Homeowners Insurance policy may not cover your business telated expenses in the event of a loss. Wednesday, April 9th 7:00 p.m. BCAA Park Royal Service Centre 608 Park Royal Mall North, West Vancouver Please RSVP to BCAA Park Royal 268-5650 608 Park Royai North BCAA Insurance AGENCY Ea oy (exterior mall location between aie Canada Trust & The Bay)