affiliates

Ron and Leigh Holland, dear people and friends, are Winnipeg artisans who create beautiful and unique hand

crafted birdhouses and feeders using old barn board, recycled hardware, often mounting them on antique farm tools.

Their bird houses are built to last with removeable bottoms

for cleaning and each one is completely unique. Recently a client requested a mail box and was absolutely delighted at

what she received. Their houses can be found at The

Garden Room on Academy Rd, La Coste Nursery on St.

Mary's Road, Oakridge Garden Centre in Steinbach, contact

"You aren't really going to connect with nature unless you create a destination. "Destination design is really the future of gardening".

Most of us spend at least 1/3 of the year inside; it's too cold, wet, whatever! Create a space outside, an extension of your home so the beauty that is

summer (we're optimists, remember) can be enjoyed by being in it literally, or at least by having the vision through the window! Come on out and play

in the mud. But if that mud is IN your garden, then here is your solution. If your soil is immovable, as mine once was, there is a wonderful cure for that

without removing ANY of the stubborn but incredibly nutritious gumbo; work from the ground up and rather than order soil, do what's been working

wonders for my clients and order compost (ABSOLUTELY NO SMELL). Call Samborski Garden Centre at 895-8111, visit them at 2600 McGillivray

Blvd., in Winnipeg or check out information regarding their composting program at

www.samborskigarden.com/home

If you know me, or have taken a course, you have heard me

speak about MYKE (like MIKE); it's a product containg

mycorrhizae in a natural medium coarse granulated carrier (vermiculite, perlite, peat and compost) efficient on both broad

leaf trees and evergreens. It contains no chemical additives.

100% natural, this product increases the rapid development of

the root system of the tree or shrub being treated. MYKE will ensure a better recovery and survival after planting or transplanting a tree or shrub.If you shop for your shrubs and trees at nurseries that carry MYKE, they will give you a 5 YEAR WARRANTY (1 time replacement) on those trees and shrubs. Local nurseries carrying this warranty:

Good Turf Garden Centre, 3036 Main St., Jensen Nursery, 2550 McGillivray Blvd., LaCoste Garden Centre, 2787 St. Mary's Rd.

Schriemer's Green Houses, 1605 Molson St., (Schriemer's also

will give you a 3 year warranty on your perennials if you buy the perennial MYKE) Shelmerdine Nurseries, 7800 Roblin Blvd.,

Interlake Garden Centre, 287 Quarter Mile Rd, Wpg

and for those of you on a road trip,

Oakridge Garden Center, Steinbach, Sunshine Greenhouse, 824 Main St., Steinbach, Patmore Nursery, Brandon & The Green

Spot, 1329 Russer Ave E in Brandon

on check out www.yardener.on check out for more information on MYKE and its benefits, go to www.yardener.com.

There is a lot of information here regarding this excellent product and regardless of where I purchase my perennials and/or shrubs and trees, I always use MYKE when planting.

Daryl has been the source of all

BIG mulched wood orders for as long as I've been in this business.

His chippers are always sharp so what you receive is clean (no logs) and wonderful smelling natural

wood mulch. Forget the red shredded pallets; Daryl will deliver

a tandem - 15-20 yards with 24 hrs notice and your space will be as

if done by Mother Nature.

Cost - around $140/load!

call Daryl @ 612-6008

Wondering where to shop?

If you are tired of trying to find someone

to help you at the big box stores or at the larger nurseries, \consider visiting a few

of the smaller ones in town. They, often times will not only take the time to assist you in any manner possible, but often carry perennials and shrubs not seen in larger outlets. That said if you tend to

'shop' the smaller nurseries and are looking for something specific and it's not the beginning of the season anymore, it is far more likely they will make an effort to find one for you. Prices are always fair and the quality is excellent, so visit ...

Arbo Flora Garden Center, 650 St. Anne's Road 255-2726

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT

ADDING WOOD MULCH TO YOUR

GARDEN.

Mulch can leach nitrogren away from

the root of the plant so it should be

spread so it is inches away from all

perennials and shrubs, trees so that it

is not stealing important nutrients and

if too close to the stem or trunk of a

plant it can hold moisture, creating rot.

On the up side, it helps retain moisture, keeps weeds from taking root beneath (there will always be something sprouting from above the ground; that's nature).

It makes the space its added to appear more natural than sod/grass/turf and it breaks down over time, which now ADDS nutrients to your soil.

Earth Chains & Water

www.earthchainsandwater.com

As shown in image (left/below), they import an exclusive line of handmade garden

pots that are so beautiful they can be used inside or out; these handmade pots made

in century old kilns in Thailand and Malaysia, come in colors and glazes in spectacular arrays, with over 4000 styles and sizes to choose from AND she sells RAIN CHAINS

which never cease to delight! Connected directly to your down spout or,

using a recirculating water pump and a pot, a soothing and peaceful sound will

resonate in your garden. Contact Pat Rudco (locally) at prudko@mymts.net for orders

or inquiries regarding these unique products.

The tree on the left may not live as long as it would have, had its protective bark not been compromised but someone has taken advantage of this

flaw to make 'art' of the tree. You can do the same with ailing cedars. Above, Cathy S's two trees, in her opinion, were due to be entirely

removed as they had overgrown the space the took up in her front yard and entirely obscured her LR window. With a bit of persuasian, I talked

Cathy into letting me prune them in order to prove they were worthy of keeping. With their thinned and raised canopy, they will receive more

moisture, light and air circulation which will prolong their life and Cathy can now see out of her window AND likes the view.