Winnipeg Free Press Newspaper Archives May 2 2015, Page 119

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - May 2, 2015, Winnipeg, Manitoba C M Y K PAGE G4 G 4 WINNIPEG FREE PRESS, SATURDAY, MAY 2, 2015 HOMES winnipegfreepress. com Q UESTION: Can you please give some advice on how to prevent rabbits from entering and eating my garden? — Miles ( Stonewall) ANSWER: Here are some things to try: . If possible, construct a chicken- wire fence, roughly 600 centimetres in height. Bury the fence a few centimetres into the ground, because rabbits are more likely to climb under the fence than hop over it. . Surround the garden with milk jugs lined with sand. The idea is the rabbits will chew on the jugs instead of your plants. . Suspend aluminum pie plates around plants to keep rabbits away. . Sprinkle one of the following around plants or shrubs: bags of human hair ( from your local hair salon), blood meal, fox urine, bone meal or Irish Spring soap shavings. . Add turkey manure to the soil. . Into a spray bottle, mix one tablespoon of baby shampoo, one tablespoon of household ammonia and one litre of water. Spray the plants every three days. . Soak corn cobs in vinegar for five minutes and then place them throughout the garden or under shrubs. Resoak the corn cobs after two weeks. . When planting flower beds, mix thyme, spearmint, daffodils and/ or eucalyptus in with flowers. Rabbits don’t like the smell and often won’t pass by to get to your yummy flowers. . Some people have had success with burying fabric softener sheets around plants. . Bury a collar cut out of a milk carton or jug around newly planted vegetables to protect each plant. . Fill mason jars three- quarters full with water, and add a drop of dish soap to each jar. Line jars along the garden and place them on top of foil pie plates. The water reflects the sun off the jar and the foil, and scares rabbits. . Ultrasonic repellers send a highpitched noise humans are unable to hear but is uncomfortable for animals such as dogs, cats, deer, rabbits, raccoons, opossums, armadillos, skunks, bats and squirrels. Adjust the unit frequency so the sound doesn’t hurt animals in the area. Study the best unit for your yard — some are not effective. Nerbas enjoys your questions and tips; keep them coming. Check out reena. ca. Every user assumes all risks of injury or damage resulting from the implementation of any suggestions in this column. Test all products on an inconspicuous area first. REENA NERBAS Plenty of ways to get rid of pesky rabbits St. Mary’s www. stmarysnurseryandgardencentre. ca Sponsored by St. Mary’s Nursery & Garden Centre Bring Mom! Pre- Mother’s DayTea Sun. May 3rd 11- 3pm OPEN MONDAY TO FRIDAY 9 - 8 AND SAT. & SUN. 9- 5 PM 2901 ST. MARY’S RD. ( Just 2 km south of the Perimeter) 204- 255- 7353 NURSERY & GARDEN CENTRE LTD. Like us on Facebook “ Mom’s the Word! T hink of the month of May. We are woken to the announcement of spring with birds chirping, the sights of leaves budding, and expectations of the sweet scent of the first blossoms. Quickly our thoughts trun to preparing our gardens for this exciting time. The lawns are ready for a top dress mixture of vermiculite and peat moss to gently anchor grass seed. Transitioning temperature from cool to warm are perfect when combined with spring rains for grass germination. Our gardens and perennial beds benefit too from a spring amendment of peat moss, compost and manures. The month of May also brings to mind “ Mother’s day”. Originating with the ancient Greeks and early Christians, the celebration of honouring our mothers has flourished. Mother’s day is celebrated on the 2nd Sunday in May and has been a recognized holiday since a campaign held in 1914 by Anna Jarvis. You may ask “ How does this tie into gardening?” Our mothers, grandmothers, aunts and sisters have a passion for flowers and plants, if not gardening. I have seen many of them visit the garden centre. Walk through the annual houses. A canopy above you reveals thousands of hanging baskets which shower you with a full spectrum of flowers, while below you have a collage of colour at your fingertips. Varieties are as numerous as the colour selection. A gift of a hanging basket, a patio pot or a hardy rose for the garden may be just the gift for “ mom”. Carla Hrycyna, St. Mary’s Nursery & Garden Centre Add Comfort and Value to your home EXPERT INSTALLATION BY A TEAM OF QUALIFIED ON- STAFF INSTALLERS ONE TEAM • ONE COMPANY • ONE WARRANTY • ONE PRICE 1065 Dugald Rd. 204- 233- 8822 aqua- tech. ca LET OUR PROFESSIONAL CONSULTANTS HELP DESIGN YOUR COMPLETE BATHROOM RENOVATION VISIT OUR LARGE SHOWROOM WITH OPERATING CUSTOM SHOWERS ( 204) 956.9699 stainlessconcepts. ca RAILINGS COUNTERTOPS BACKSPLASHES SCULPTURE ART Bringing your ideas to life COMMERCIAL & RESIDENTIAL PROJECTS DESIGN, FABRICATE AND INSTALL Healthy lifestyle N a tural charm Find out moreabout our neighbourhood and builders Monday to Thursday Saturday and Sunday Friday by appointment Hours will vary by builder. Please check builder websites for details. Make plans to visit now. at bridgwaterneighbourhoods. com Beautiful Surroundings Our unique architectural guidelines combine traditional home styles with modern features to create welcoming streetscapes and a genuine sense of community. Pedestrian Focused Leave your vehicle at home and take a stroll along an extensive pedestrian network of over 80 km of planned pathways and sidewalks. Discover and Explore With seven planned play areas, winding trails and sparkling lakes, children of all ages will enjoy the amenities of the neighbourhood. Built alongside lakes, paved walkways, abundant green spaces and a future town centre, our neighbourhoods are designed with you in mind. BRADY ROAD WAVERLEY STREET BISON DRIVE BISHOP GRANDIN BOULEVARD Residential Neighbourhoods Parks Lakes Mixed Use Trail Network K E N A S T O T N B O U L EV A V A R D KE N AS T O N B O U L E V A V A R D BridgwaterLakes BridgwaterCentre Bridgwater Fo rest BridgwaterTrails Visitour new show homes Any Child. Any Need. Every Day. With your donation you give a child... a childhood. Call ( 204) 982- 1050 O R V I S I T varietymanitoba. com DONATE T O D A Y Fabulous tip of the week Clean a badly burnt pot by cooking an unpeeled onion in water until the onion is soft. Let the water cool, then scrub the pot SOLUTIONS with an abrasive pad. G_ 06_ May- 02- 15_ FH_ 01. indd G4 4/ 30/ 15 7: 51: 01 PM