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Thursday, May 13, 2010 — THE MEDICINE HAT NEWS

Sprpging

Yard & Garden 2010ard & Garden 2010

Rock your world with river stones

Looking to punch up the aesthetic value of your yard? Try adding an inviting stone patio, pathway or border. Stone blends well with all architecture and landscape styles and is far more appealing to the eye than boring, bland concrete.

Rocks and stone have been used in landscapes for centuries. They add timeless style and enduring beauty. The longevity of the paving stones on the island of Crete, in place for thousands of years, speaks volumes about stone's durability in a landscape.

Adding stone to a yard naturally enhances the beauty of the landscape and brings balance between organic and inorganic materials.

Creating a stone path once required a large amount of time and sweat. Today stone hardscapes can be created quickly with river stones.

The thought of adding a new stone walkway or patio can be overwhelming. It can be tough to visualize what it will look like when it is fi nished. Achieving the fi nal look before permanent installation is simple with river stones.

Place tiles, mats and/or borders on top of the ground in the planned patio or path area. If the confi guration falls short of the envisioned addition, move the tiles, mats and borders around until the look is picture perfect. When the desired look is attained, grass can be removed and the river stones placed in position. If the stone needs to be moved in coming years, relocate by lifting and moving to new site. Try

doing that with a concrete hardscape!

Small splashes of stone can make a big statement when accenting existing structures. Use individual tiles and mats as doormats or planter holders. Multiple mats can be positioned as a runner down the center of a rustic outdoor table. A stone walking strip between a pool and existing concrete patio creates a natural, elemental transition between the areas.

Applications are not limited to outdoor landscapes. Stone can be used for indoor decor too. The River Stone tiles can be applied to indoor areas with the same techniques that are used in ceramic tile installation. Want a stone fl oor in your shower? Or a stone backsplash over your kitchen sink? You can do it. (MS)

MAXIMIZE YOUR OUTDOOR LIVING ENJOYMENT

Retractable Awning

Increase the value of your home by creating a comfortable, shaded living space outdoors.

• reduce temperature by 20 degrees • be able to entertain outdoors • reduce risk of skin cancer

• deck and furniture won’t fade due to sun

Window Awnings

Customize and beautify the look and feel of your home by adding window awnings

• over 300 fabric choices available from sunbrella

• awning designs to compliment all styles of homes

• block sun without losing outside views • reduce utility costs

• protect floors and furniture

Roll Screen

Add shade and privacy to your deck and patio with a custom roll screen

• gain privacy while maintaining your views • greatly reduce temperature • elegance and functionality in one package

Largest selection of landscape materials.

landscape rock • flagstone & boulders • bark • cedar & colored mulch • premium topsoil & garden blends • compost • lava rock • gravel • sand

NEW! cubic yard MINI-BULK bags delivered

403-527-1822

Design services and professional installs

50 Southwest Drive, SW

Medicine Hat

www.thelandscapedepot.ca

52454000•05/13/10

• paving stones & retaining walls

• planters • precast concrete products

• Allan Block • Water features • fencing • landscape lighting • pond products • do-it yourself • deliveries.

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Located 3 kms east of Medicine Hat on Hwy. #1 (next to Harley Davidson) • Sale Ends May 16, 2010

Hours: Monday - Friday 8am - 9pm • Saturday 9am - 6pm • Sunday 9am - 6pm

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Revitalize your

Revitalize your lawn after a long winter

lawn after a long winter

Every spring, homeowners head outside to take stock of how the winter treated their lawn. Homeowners in areas that experience heavy snow or rainfall each winter likely do not look forward to this inventory, fearful of what another harsh winter did to their property. Fallen tree branches, frozen ground and winter wind storms can do a number on even the most well-manicured lawns, turning a summertime labour of love into a nightmare.

While homeowners might not be able to do anything about the weather, there are ways to revitalize a lawn each spring. And you don't have to be an accomplished landscaper to handle the task. The following tips can help bring your luscious lawn back to life, helping make winter a distant memory.

• Remove all debris from your yard. Debris includes any trash in the yard, wood, large roots, fallen branches, and even stones. The presence of trash such as broken glass or even faded paper products such as cups or bags is not only unsafe for the environment, but it can prove harmful to anyone who might be out in the yard once your grass grows, especially if you have children. Oftentimes, winter winds can blow trash from nearby garbage cans across the yard, no matter how neatly homeowners put out their trash.

• Smooth the soil. Once all debris been removed, examine the soil for any abnormalities that might need to be smoothed out. Use a spade or rake to smooth any areas that aren't up to par. Next you'll want to loosen the soil as well, something that can be done with a garden rake. Any unsightly areas, such as humps or ditches, should either be smoothed out or fi lled in, depending on which is appropriate. This can be done with some soil and should not prove too costly.

• Consider seeding the lawn if need be. For lawns that took a particularly harsh beating over the winter, consider seeding the lawn to help revitalize it. When seeding a lawn, be sure you choose the right seeds. Different regions respond better to different types of grass. But don't be intimidated if you don't know the correct grass to choose. Simply ask a landscaper or consult a lawn care specialist at a nearby home improvement centre as to which type of grass is the best fi t your region and your yard.

When you're ready to seed, the seed can be scattered by hand for smaller yards, or with a drop spreader for larger lawns. When spreading with a drop spreader, use the suggested amount of seed on the bag (even a little less seed should do the trick) and make sure you spread out the rows evenly in the same direction. Once you've sowed the fi rst part of your lawn in one direction, you can crisscross back over that part at a 90-degree angle, making sure you keep equal distance and calibrate your spreader at the same speed.

• Add mulch for aesthetic and practical appeal. Moist helps the soil, and can also add aesthetic appeal to a lawn. Moist helps the soil by allowing it to retain moisture, making it more conducive to growing healthy grass. When laying mulch down, keep the mulch at roughly a quarter-inch to ensure your lawn will grow in nicely.

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ow Cutting for Pickup & Deliveries

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Ask about

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