NEWS photo Mike Wakefluld

A SPIDER creeps along a hair-like strand as it begins the task of spinning a web.

Sand offers best balance for turf!

From page 13

12-inch layer of soil found in the
few enclaves of nature left in the
world.

The ‘‘topsoil’’ you see rumbling
down the highway or advertised in
this paper is: likely to be a syn-
thetic substitute usually manufac-
tured out of: screened subsoil,
sawdust and Lord-only-knows.

But what of the grass? What is

the medium in which it prefers to
settle its roots? ;
If you take the hints offered by
nature, it appears as though the
preferred medium is sand and
gravel.

I say this afier observing that
grass appears to more readily in-
vade the sand/gravel strips along
our roadways than the fertile soil
of the garden bed.

- While many will say that sandy

soils drain too quickly. and offer
little in the way of moisture or
nutrient retention, grass does not
see the problem.

In fact, the problems commonly
associated with growing turf in the
Pacific Northwest are mostly

“related to an overabundance of-

moisture rather than a deficiency.
It is much more difficult to
remove the excess water from our.

THE KITCHEN OF THE MONTH

-LONETREE ENTERPRISES LTD. (Est. 1970)

soils during the wetter periods of
fall, winter and spring than to add
water during our cccasionally dry
summers.

With the installation of an ir-
tigation system and regular ap-
plications of fertilizer, it is not
only possible to grow turf on pure
sand, it is actually preferable.

The guru of turfgrass, James B.
Beard, says in his book, Turfgrass
Management for Golf Courses,
‘*|,.the. sand component should
represent a very high proportion
of .most root . zone mixes ...
because it enhances aeration, in-

Perennials topic

THE UBC Botanicai Gajrden is

sponsoring an_- illustrated lecture
and demonstratio:i entitled Peren-
nials in Containers.

The speaker will be Dr. Gerald
Straley, well-known research
scientist and author of Trees of
Vancouver.

The lecture will take place at 8

p.m. on Thursday, March 11, in .

Room 100 of the Scarfe Education
Building at UBC.

Tickets are $8 and are available
at the Shop in the Garden.

‘Kitchen & Bathroom Specialists
The store with the Doggie in the window.
2990 Arbutus St. (@14th), Vancouver « 739-1110

filtration, and percolation and is
less prone to soil compaction than
other components.”

I recémmend starting your new
lawn on eight to 12 inches of
pure, Salt-free sand.

If possible, try to specify a
blend of differing textures: 50 to
75% with a particle size of 0.25 to
Oe mm and the balance between

0.5 and I mm.

This will offer the best balance
of a reasonably good retention of
moisture and nutrients as well as
good drainage and aeration to the
root zone.

of UBC lecture

For tickets and further informa-
tion phone 822-4529.

Local gardeners might. want to
mark Sunday, May 16 on their
calendars, as this is the date of
UBC Botanical Garden’s third
annual perennial plant sale.

There is also still time to sign
up for a spring gardening course
at UBC. Faculty and staff have

chosen topics to suit all levels of .

‘gardening expertise.
For further information or to,
register call 822-3928.

Exhibit shows seasonal changes

& COLOR photo exhibit en-
titled A Garden For All
Seasons is showing from March
2 to 14 at the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen
Classical Chinese Garden.

Volunteer Fiona Sinclair,
staff member James Yu, and
professional photographer
Brian Mulvihill created the 12
poster-sized images that make
up the exhibit.

Every season is represented
so that visitors will be able to
see the garden’s beauty in all
types of weather and stages of

bloom.

Photos depict architecture,
water, rocks and plant life —
the four elements of a classical
Chinese Garden.

The Dr. Sun Yat-Sen
Classical Chinese Garden,
located at the corner of Carrall
and Pender St. in Chinatown,
is open daily from 10 a.m, to
4:30 p.m,

A Garden For All Seasons is
free with regular admission to
the Garden. Call 662-3207 for
more information. +

You are invited to view:

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