28 — Wednesday, October 8, 1997 — North Shore News From page 26 the winter. The rye roots absorh and hold the nutrients during the winter and reduce soil compaction. Nutrients are released back into the garden in the spring when the crop is dug in as green manure. Be prepared to start digging the rye in before it reaches 15 centimetres — usually in early March. Another way of preserving the nutrients in the soil, par- ticularly in vegetable gardens, is to cover the bed with clear plastic. The rain water will be shed and the soil will start to warm more quickly in the spring, encouraging weed seeds to germinate well before planting time. Create a slight camber on the bed to ensure good drainage. This same technique.can be used to keep a garden bed dry until you have time to get out and plant your fail bulbs. Fall is not a good time to put your compost on the gar- den. Most of the nutrients will be washed out before the plants have time to make use of them. If mulching and winter protection are desired, then leaves or other coarse material ground up with the lawn mower is a better mater- ial to use. This is the time to collect seeds from some of your favorite annuals and perenni- als. Check the origina! source to sce whether they were EU 12 hybrids or not, as hybrids may not come truce the sec- ond time. I find a large brown bay or plant pot saucer is good for collecting seeds. Some plants such as impatiens have seed pods that literally explode when ripe and the only way to capture them is to have them in a bag before touching them. Lay the pods and/or seeds in the sun or a warm spot to dry and cure before screening off the husks and debris. Thirty- five millimetre photo film canisters with labels (type & date) make great seed storage containers. The first killing frost usu- ally occurs about the last week in October, which is just three weeks away. Tender plancs such as tuberous bego- nias, fichsia, dahlia and canna lilies should all be dug and prepared for winter storage. The tender fuchsia can be placed in a shallow pit. cov- ered with dry peat or leaves, a layer of plastic and finally soil on top. Tubers, roots and rhizomes should all be washed, checked for disease or insects and then stored in a box of dry peat or sawdust in a cool, frost-free area. Water lily leaves and other pool plants are dying back ° and should be removed from the pool where nossible. Some organic material will naturally sink to the bottom of the pool but too much debris will fill the pool and FREE PORTRAIT CHRISTMAS.CARDS _ EARLY BIRD SPECIAL. SAVE S& THROUGH WOV 9, 1997 95 AFLER NOV.” A Whole New Way To Get Portraits Your Way! CHOOSE backgrounds and preps Portrait Studio Now Open 7 Days A Week! Daily 10am-7emr Sun, 10am G20 OP9 . 7pyy of Stee Subject fee of $5.95 per person umber ol odvertsed of Stare Closing Closed for Lunch 2-3em Daily when portraits ore taken. No len on the photographed, payable collections per lomuly, but only one odveried collechon pet subrect, please Addrhonal poses taken for optional portal collection with no obligation to purchase Sizes opp.tosmate Christmas backgrounds available at no extra charge! « RT By, yr WO, een North Vancouver Capilano Mali, Marine Drive, 988-1811 HURRY! OFFER ENDS NOV. 9,197. aon {© 197 Pheto Corpatoticn of Canada tne Sve wt Cotter portant, nerth shore news “HOME& GARDEN sd Tend to tasks before frost eTeate an anaerobic condi- tion. This will generate smelly hydrogen sulphide gas. Some gardeners prefer to spread a net over the pool in the fall to catch the torrent of leaves and keep them out of the water. Tender potted water plants caa be set on the bot- tom of the pool where they will not freeze. As long as you continue to dead head your roses they will attempt to put out new blooms. It might be time to allow some colorful rose hips’ to form. This will signal the bush to go dormant, consery- ing energy for next spring's show. Remember to clean up all the diseased rose debris below the plants and put it in the garbage. il i il i > 4 Lae Fresh local Winterize hi keep out Jack Frost Autumn is the time to prepare your home for colder weather. The following is a list of things residents may do to “winterize” their homes as suggest- ed by Home Depor building expert Eric Schmidt: @ Check windows, door frames and base- boards for escaping heat by holding a lit match by gaps. If the flame moves or blows out, there is a draft problem. Use silicon caulking around doors and windows. Replace worn or damaged weather-stripping around doors and window frames. Clear plastic film can be applied over windows using a hair dryer. The plastic will help stop drafts and prevent frost uild-up; @ Change the furnace’s air filter to help get efficient furnace use and cleaner air in your home; @ Wrap foam tubing around pipes and tape in place to help avoid burst or frozen pipes; @ Inspect gutters and ensure they are clear of debris and draining properly; @ Plug up spaces around dryer vents, television cable lines and other utility service entry points on the outside of homes with expandable polyurethane foam products; . @ Ensure there is enough insulation in the attics and basements. The most popular types of insulation are fiberglass batt (glass or rock fibre) and loose-fill cellulose. Schmidt recommends trying a new bianket- type product that is “virtually itch free” to install and comes in easy-to-handle compact rolis for do-it-yourself attic applications. : MciINTOSH APPLES 25%. Prices effective October 8-12,1997 We wish all our customers a Happy Thanksgiving Holiday. Our store will be closed October 13th vas si Vi, te