LIFESTYLES WILDFLOWER GARDEN Duplicating nature takes work { REMEMBER making a phone call to our local grocer while I was in my early teens. It went something like this, ‘*Hello, do you have pop in a can?’’ followed by the in- evitable response, ‘“Yes, we sure do.’’ Thus enabling this smmart-lipped little juvenile delinquent to demand, ‘‘Well, let him out.” This is a very old story which J am sure at least half of you have participated in. Flowers-in-a-can, however, is still a relatively new concept, After hearing an ever-increasing number of you dectare this to be the best and easiest solution to that “*hard-to-handle, wild area in the back forty,” I thought it time to throw my two cents worth in. This phone call goes something like this, ‘‘Mabel said 1 could just throw some wildflower seeds around that empty bed out back and watch them grow.’’ I would suggest that you ignore Mabel on this. As a matter of fact, I would suggest that you refrain from fol- lowing any advice from Mabel — ever! Mabel, like the label, has no problem making you think that wildflower gardening is as easy as pie. Of course, it’s not Mabel’s money, time and energy that would be wasted should this cavalier approach be used. Every gardening project requires planning, preparation, and perseverence in osder to be suc- cessful. If you would not expect good results from simply tossing a handful of petunia, marigold, and snapdragon seeds around the garden, why should you expect any more from wildflowers? Planning can be as simple as deciding which brand of ‘can’ to buy, to tackling the complexities of creating your own seed mixtures based on the peculiarities of your site. 1 would suggest you stay with the ‘canned’ goods and not have to deal with problems of supply, proportionate mixing and so on. Try choosing a loca! brand. It stands to reason that a locally produced and blended seed mix- ture will achieve better results than one from an area of differing climatic conditions. Dawson Seed Co. of North Vancouver has had great success with their Country Meadow brand which is widely available. Site preparation is the most im- portant aspect of wildflower gardening. If you want to succeed, you must clear, cultivate and level the site, prepare for drainage, and femove aS many weeds as humanly possible. Some of nature’s loveliest 13 - Friday, February 9, 1990 - brush and weed-fire location. Once you have removed all of the over-burden, use a Rototiller or hand cultivate the area to a depth of eight to 10 inches. Comb- ing through the over-turned soil in order to remove the roots of perennial weeds will go a long way toward lessening future problems. Use a rake to create a flat, ievel area on which to sow your seeds. If you think about the effects of over the garden gate wildflower gardens are on old burn sites that have been cleared by fire. I am quite sure the municipal fire department would frown upon any attempt to replicate this type of clearing in the home garden, but it does illustrate the benefits of a Learn about co-operative housing IN TIMES of rising rents and soaring house prices, co-operatives can provide housing that is secure, affordable and tailored to special needs. Many people are interested in finding out more about how they are organized and operated. Questions such as: How are. housing co-ops formed? What are membership qualifications? and, How do you apply? will be ad- dressed at the free law class on Co-operative Housing at Champlain Heights Community School, 6955 Frontenac off Boundary Road, on Thursday, Feb. 15, from 7-9 p.m. Bring your questions and find out if a co-op can meet your hous- ing needs. This class is co-spon- "CABINETWORK SPECIALS 5/8 MELAMINE 35.88 4x8 SHT 3/4 F.S. RED OAK Premium Grade 69.95 axs SHT OAK DOOR PULL 1.09 win.eT. 5/8 G2S COLORKOTE 24.75 4x8 SHT 1/8 F.S. ASIAN OAK 14.88 xs sHT EUROPEAN STYLE DRAWER SLIDS 5.99 S4S RED OAK LUMBER 1x2 .89 tt. 1x4 1.59 ft. 1x6 2.39 tt. KITCHEN ORGANIZERS 15% OFF SALE ON THRU FEB, 23/90 OR WHILE QUANTITIES LAST * ALL ITEMS SUBJECT TO QUANTITIES ON HAND! CANADA'S rirgioeall FINISHING STORE! _Windsor Plywood sored with the Co-operative Hous- ing Federation of B.C. Pre-register by calling 438-4041. Geoff Tobiasson drainage and surface run-off now, you could avoid having your seed float away into your neighbor’s yard. Now let the area sit until April. This will allow any seeds of annual weeds and the roots of perennial weeds to show themselves once more before scattering your wildflowers. Remove any that do appear, trying not to disturb the site to any major degree. Lightly scratch or roughen the soil’s surface and sow your seed at the supplier’s recommended rate. the original GORDONS TABLES & CURIOS Monarch Furniture Gallery still have a large quantity of Gordons tables & curios left in stock. You will never again buy at these prices!! HOURS Mon-Sat 9-5:30 Sun, 12-5 onahthe 90 DAY NO There's just no reason uenilivre pay more. INTEREST PLAN OR TERMS 0.A.C, North Shore News LIFESTYLES Mixtures that contain very fine seed may be blended lightly with sand in order to assist with an even distribution. A light raking will assure that all of the seed has come in contact with soi] and is covered by no more than one-eighth of an inch of soil. Raking across slopes will create small furrows which may prevent seed from being washed downhill. Do not apply any fertilizers. Their use will likely be of more benefit to competitive weeds than the wildflowers. Once the flowers have become established, you may apply a light application of bonemeal every fall. You must keep the area moist for at least the first six weeks, as this wili assure proper germina- tion. Applying water as a fine mist at regular intervals will keep the area moist without disturbing the seed. Now comes the fun part. You must do everything you can to remove weeds as they appear, without inadvertently pulling up your wildflower seedlings. If you’re in doubt as to a plant’s identity, leave it alone. Some seed mixtures contain perennial wildflowers as well as the more common annuals. These will be more successful if sown in mid-September, | recommend that you seed now and over-secd in the fall in order to fill in any holes as well as increase the chances for the perennials. U8 miistaig a statt of arslessic 731 ratceeonsusfaats whastake great. : pleasure in ‘treating a9 fame _ environment Ibat's (ost FQht fet you -Ouit Cecacatars/Alsa.cttet’ a waileager wand window covering seryize * —~] 1375 Kingsway, Vancouver (at Knight Road) 876-2201