With the children return:

ng

to school it’s time to garden

THE KIDS are going back to school and taking a month’s
wages in school supplies and new clothes with them. So now
that their absence has enabled you to do a few things in the

garden, you can’t afford it.

Well, here are a few distractions
you can use to keep your mind off
the trauma of being separated
from the little ‘yard apes’ and your
cash:

© Lawn Care — It’s not over
yet! You should try to squeeze in
one more application of a high
nitrogen fertilizer before the end of
the month. The grass is still active-
ly growing and will require a con-
sistent level of nutrients to do its
best. This means the maintenance
of. a reguiar watering and cutting
schedule as well.

Any attempt at seeding a new
lawn or re-seeding an old one after
the middle of this month is temp-
ting fate. If you do not get it ger-
minated before the onslaught of
the cold weather, you will have
wasted your time. -

You will undoubtedly see a lot
of advertising about Leather
Jacket control in the days ahead.
Lawn maintenance and spraying
companies would Jove to tum your
yard into a toxic wasteland and get
paid for it to boot.

Do not be too hasty.

In the first place it’s probably
not necessary. Unless the Euro-
pean Crane Flies (‘Flying Daddy-
Long-Legs’ — the parents) begin
staging a major air show over your
lawn, they are not worth worrying
about.

In the second place, you should
probably do it yourself. It will cost
you far less and you will probably
sleep better at night knowing how
much of what was sprayed on your
lawn.

And finally it’s too soon to
worry about — wait until October.

¢ Flower Beds — You should
start cleaning cut ycur annual
flower beds and make room for
the planting of the fall bulbs. If
you are one of those thrifty Scots
who likes to wait until the fast
flower fades, a few words of warn-
ing.

Try to plan the displays for your
next spring bulb beds and make
the necessary purchases _ early.
Most garden centres will begin sell-
ing out of some varieties before the
end of the month.

Although planting should not
feally begin until October at the
earliest, do not leave the prepara-
tion of these areas too late. Many’s
the time I've Jeft my annuals in to
the bitter end only to end up trying
to prepare and plant my bulb beds
in our famously nasty fall weather.

Continue the removal of spent
flowers from longer lasting annual
and perennial flowers. The flower-
ing season can be prolonged by
denying a plant’s opportunity to
produce seed and forcing it to set
new flowers in order to do so.

Now is still a good time ¢o plant
perennial flowers as you find
them. Some of the garden centres
will be putting these plants on sale
shortly; take advantage of it.

Country kitchens always in style

SOME THINGS never go out of
style.

The charm and reassuring famil-
iarity of country decor, for exam-
ple, just seems to continually
renew its popularity with each suc-
ceeding generation.

While today’s ‘‘country’’. covers
a broad scope, ranging from very
rustic farm styles to comtemporary
interpretations of Queen Anne
period pieces, the affection for it

ACRYLIC

CASH & CARRY>

NEXICAN POTTERY

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Our entire stock
of handcrafted
Mexican pottery

For Pavingstone

remains undiminished. Both
authentic and reproduction fur-
niture are readily available to
create the basic look.

It is really the accessories and
details, however, that make the
difference between capturing a true
rural character or just missing its
spirit. Decorative elements, such as
collections of old ironstone din-
Nerware, crockery and baskeiry, all
add their own patina to the am-

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biance.

Garage and yard sales, flea
markets and antique shops abound
in relatively inexpensive pieces with
“tage,” as the dealers describe
some of the desirable older pieces.

While these all, contribute to
creating a sense of place, it is the
decorative fabrics, especially the
window treatments, that really

See Look
Page 12

3 $989

Cash & Cany

I will include more on the topic
of fall planting spring flowering
bulbs in the weeks ahead.

2 Vegetable Beds — If this had
been any other year, I would have
suggested you try to sneak in a few
extra plantings of some fast grow-
ing crops like leaf lettuce and

over the

- garden gate

Geoff Tobiasson

radishes. Ah well, we may yet be in
for an Indian summer. Also con-
sider fall winter crops of cabbage,
cauliflower, onions, etc.

Some time over the next month,
begin cleaning up your vegetable
beds. The early removal of weeds
and diseased plant parts will go a
long way towards minimizing these
problems next year.

© Trees and shrubs — The com-
ing months are among the best to
begin. major planting projects in
the garden. The cooler days and
nights that lie ahead combined

with summer-warmed soils, will
encourage the rapid development
of a healthy root system.

And it’s cheaper too! Not only
will nursery stock (trees and
shrubs) start going on sale, it
usually has aitained its 1990 size
and yet is still available at 1989
prices.

© Propagation — Collect some
seeds from out of the garden and
use the:n next year. Why pay for
what nature is offering for free?
Sorae hybrid varieiies will not seed
true and the resultant crosses may,
end up being undesirable, but you
never know until you try.

Try taking a few cuttings from
your herbaceous plants and layer-
ing some woody plants. Layering
can be accomplished by selecting a
stem that will bend to the ground
then scarring (scraping of the bark)
the underside of it.

Now peg the stem down so that
the abrasion is in contact with the
soil. Lightly cover the area with
soi) and leave it until early next
spring when it should be ready for
transplanting.

© In General — Keep an eye on
the weather if you have any tender
plants such as fuchsias, hibiscus,
or any other potted plant that you
wish to save indoors over the
winter. Bring them in overnight
during particularly cold periods.

And sow it grows. :

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