{ i i f i E \ i $ r in t é | i { i H t SOME OF you avid gardeners must look to the rains that lie ahead with as much enthusiasm as Doug Collins experiences while meeting new Canadians. ‘I suppose they must land somewhere, I’d just rather it wasn’t here.”’ Somehow, those platitudes that _ Point out the necessities of diversi- ty and personal suffering for healthy growth just don’t relieve the feeling of misery you get when the rains are, running down the back of your neck. o Well, Doug, and the rest of you disgruntled gardeners, I’m here to’ ask ‘you to introduce a little color into your life. Think about garden- ing indoors this winter. There afe large numbers of flowering plants that will divert your attention from leaden out- door skies to tropical fantasies. Perhaps none so well as the amaryllis or Bippeastrum hybrids. ' Looking somewhat like a giant tulip or daffodil bulb, they are currentiy being sold in garden cen- tres-and some of the mass mer- chandisers. They may appear ex- pensive but not when considering the rewards. The enormous, trumpet-shaped flowers fit the scale of the gigantic, - three to six-inch bulb from which they stem. three-foot stems and the flowers can last three to four weeks, you too will be impressed by the rewards. As always, it is better to search out the named hybrids because they are most likely to provide the over the garden gate They average four to six inches across and five to eight inches long and appear in clusters of three to five. Amaryllis flowers are produced in scarlet, red, pink, coral, and white, with many shades and com- binations in between. As larger bulbs can yield two or more Geoff Tobiasson strongest show. Here are a few of my favorites: * Appleblossom — pale pink with a lighter throat © Beautiful Lady — mandarin red ‘with pink throat © Belinda — dark velvet red © Bouquet — bdegonia pink, bien- ding to rose . Pavestone 13 — Friday, October 21, 1988 — North Shore News © Daintiness —— porcelain rose with green veined throat © Easterflower — azalea pink, edged in white © Excelsior — clear orange * Fairyland — solid rose ® Glorious Victory — salmon- orange with darker throat © Hecuba — salmon © Joan of Arc — pure white with green throat e Minerva — white-edged, brick red * Mont Blanc — pure white with a greenish tinged throat ® Parsival — orange-scarlet © Peppermint — pure white with cardinal, red streaks * Picotee — pure white, speckled with red dots and edged red © Rembrandt — clear, dark red © Stripped Beauty — salmon-pink, edged white with red lines . ® Wyndham Hayward — oriental red, shading to blood red Be sure to check your prospec- tive purchase over before you take it home. It should appear fat and healthy; beware of shrunken, dehydrated bulbs. And don’t be tempted by stems that are already protruding AMARYLLIS (hippegsiram hybrid). from the bulb. It will perform bet- ter if allowed to root before sen- ding up 2 flower spike. Squeeze it See Garden Page 14 ~ PATIO SLAB the “solid choice” Natural $1.09/sq.ft. or 29¢ ea. Colour $1.19/sq.ft. or 32¢ ea. (based on full pallets shipped direct from the factory.) USED RAILWAY ” Based upon Full Bundles of 30! From the four comers of the world: Italy, Mexico, Malaysia, Kelowna INSTALLATION: While we at Landscape Decorstore do SECONDS & 1, 7 not install, we work with the finest installers & designers in the business. if you should require anything, from a ; quote on an existing project to a complete Landscape Design, we would Concrete, Clay, Wooden, and Terra Cotta be happy to obtain as many qualified companies as you may require! Hand-crafted exotic pots of f differing shapes & designs. Both glazed & unglazed.