Wednesday, March 21, 2001

Getting ready to garden

Any time of the year can be the right time to get ready to add a garden to your home. Here are a few tips to get you started.

· There are two basic types of outdoor gardens: ornamental gardens and food gardens. The former includes flower, rock and water gardens. The latter includes herb gardens and vegetable gardens.

· When choosing a site for the garden select an area with good drainage. Also, remember a steep slope is difficult to plant and care for. Plus, water running down the slope can carry away nutrients.

· A successful vegetable garden needs a location that gets at least five hours of sunlight each day. Be sure to choose plants that are right for the climate of your region.

· Different kinds of plants need different amounts of room to grow well, so its a good idea to sketch out your plan for the garden.

· To save space in a vegetable garden, you can grow spreading vine plants, such as tomatoes, on stakes or other supports.

· To get the most out of your available space, consider planting vegetables in succession. For example, after harvesting early onions, cabbages and peas, plant beans, eggplants and peppers in the same location.

· Make sure you have the basic equipment, such as a garden hose, watering can or sprinkler, a hoe, a rake, a shovel or spade, a spading fork, a trowel and gloves.

Home gardeners troubled by the symptoms of repetitive stress injury, or known as carpal tunnel syndrome as well as arthritis, tendinitis or poor circulation, may want to consider a special type of glove.

The glove, called Handeze, features a form-fitting design and is made of a stretch fabric treated by the Med-A-Likra process. The design of the glove traps natural body heat. This raises the temperature while keeping pressure on tissues and increasing blood flow to fingers, hands and wrists.

Handeze works so well for gardening that it has received the National Home Gardening Club Seal-Of-Approval.

To learn more, call Dome Industries, at 1-800-432-4352.

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