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Page CB - The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, May 5, 1993

Gardening from the ground up

@How many times have you planted
the perfect shrub or flower in the per-
fect spot only to find that it didn’t
favor its new home? Plants thrive and
flourish in soil conditions ideally suit-
ed for them, but you'll rarely find ideal
soil in your garden. Don't get discour-
aged! You can always improve soil
conditions to achieve healthier plant
growth and better produce. ..

But how is a gardener to learn all
that needs to be learned atiout enrich-
ing garden soil without spending a far-
tune on a reference library, or enrolling
in the nearest horticultural classes?

Basic tips and information: concern-

ing soil improvements, understanding :
pH, fertilizers (organic versus inorgan-

ic), and a plant food application sched-
ule are included in the 28-page, full-
color booklet entitled Projects and
Tips from Better Homes and

Gardens®, Lawn .& Garden Guide...

being offered.by four of the industry's -

leading manufacturers.

The guide explains that the secret to
soil improvement ties in organic mat-
ter, in the form of peat moss, leaf mold,
manure or compost.

Whenever possible, add organic
matter to your soil in the fall. This
gives microorganisms plenty: of.time to
decompose it before spring planting.
Then, after working in the organic mal-
ter, add any other amendments, such as
bone meal or super-phosphate, for
good root growth. .

Fertilizers also improve soil condi- °

tions, and Hoffman, the leading manu-
facturer in organic plant foods, decodes
the numbers and.symbols shown on
fertilizer labels. The numbers (such as

For smaller gardeners

KIDS’ TOOLS cultivate gardens
and children — Having tools of
their own, such as this kid-sized,
fully functional garden shovel,
enables children to have fun and
gain confidence in their gardening
skills. The new “My Garden Tools”
shovel from Ames Lawn and
Garden Tools is designed for chil-
dren aged seven and older. It fea-
tures a strong hardwood handle
that is seal-coated for moisture
protection and has a sturdy steel
head to stand up to the rigors of
serious gardening tasks. The line
also includes a garden rake and
. hoe — both with steel heads — and

lightweight easy: -to-wse poly lawn ae

, Nake.

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| Spring Garden
Tractor

10-6-4} stand for the percentages of -
nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium,
in that order. These are the major nutri-
ents essential for plant growth, -:

“Learn from the guide where each is
best used -in high percentages. and
‘about the “WIN” term, which stands

for Water Insoluble Nitrogen, along

with other gardening information about
tools, Starling seeds, creating anew

@Gardens made in the shade take Icss
water and weeding and are more pleas-
-ant-t0-work:in. Here are some ways to-
enjoy shady gardening:

.* Study the shade patie rns. Make
mental or written notes of what is in
shadow or sunlight, morming, noon,
and afternoon at different seasons,

~» Consider the soil. If the shade
comes from buildings, the soil there
may be fill dirt left from construction
with very little remaining topsoil. If the
shade comes from-trees and shrubs,
their roots will compete with the’ grass-
es, ground covers or flowers for nutri-
ents and moisture,

lawn, and much more,
The guide also includes over $100 i in

savings and free offers from Ames gar- -
_ den tools, Nelson -watering systems,

Apex garden hose, Hoffman plant fnod
and sols, and others,
To order the Guide
To order a free guide, just send your

If drainage is poor, plants growing in
shade can be more prone to root rot
and other disease problems.

But all of these problems are easily"

solved by enriching and improving the
soil with organic matter.

Doc and Katy Abraham, who write
books and articles and do their garden-
ing in Naples, New York, find that
Canadian Sphagnum peat moss is one
of the best. soil conditioners.

“We do a lot of our shade gardening |
in half barrels. We use a three-part mix

of good garden soil, Canadian peat
moss, and either builders” sand, vermi-
culité, or perlite,” says Katy. This

name, address, city, state and zip code
(clearly printed), along with a $1.00
check or money order for shipping. Maik
to: Lawn: &. Garden Guide, P.O. Bax
863, Dept. MC, Gibbstown, NJ 08027,
On, to obtain your guide even
faster and receive a free gardening
tip from the editors of Better Homes
& Gardens Magazine and Books, call
1-900-903-8333. Your total cast will.
be $2.49, shipping and handling

included. You must be 18 years or

older to call,

_ Tips for shady gardens.

immediately eliminates. poor soil or
drainage and root competition.
* Choose the. right. plants. Redbud -

trees, flowering dogwood, Japanese

maple, buckeye and evergreen hemlock
all thrive in light to medium shade.

Ground covers such as ajuga,
Bishops hat, evonymus or wintercreep-
er, blue fescue, wild strawberry, winter-
green, sweet woodruff, ivy, pachysan-
dra and vinca do best in shade.

Annual, coleus, begonias, browallia,

- godetias, ‘impatiens, torenias and. pan-

sies prefer shade. Among the perenni-
als, choose columbine, astilbe, bleed-
ing heart, hostas, daylilies, iris, fox-
gloves, primroses and violas.

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