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Downtow.n %2hildren's, Festival SeS pagS AMand A5 Pick- yo)ur-own strawberry frmls start this week PICK-YOLTR-OWN strawberry fields time this week in Durham Region wxtn should start to open for business sème- the arrivai of warm weather. Foodland Ontario photo Owners of pick-your-own farms in the area say strawberries should be ready by this weekend. The expected June 24 starting date is later than last season when hot weather advanced the CrT2hey're starting to ripen slowly,' said Eva Junker last. week from an RR2 Whitby pick- your-own farm. The Junkers have four acres of strawberries and started pick- your-own 15 years ago. The Zdariowicz Farm, also at RR2 Whitby, expected strawber- ries sometime this week. Green Brae Orchards, operated by Ron Death in Ashburn, also predicted' a Saturday start for their several acres of berries. Jack and Barbara Weber of RR1 Oshawa experienced a bit of winter-kill on their patch, but will nevertheless have 3.5 acres of strawberries for picking, again, on a predicted starting date of June 24. Winter-kill foroed the Linden Farm in Pickering to abandon their pick-your-own strawberry operation this year. Meanwhile, Cedar Ridg Farms in Ajax expects their pick- your-own raspberry oVeration to begin the first week in July, should warm weather remain. "We don't expect to be late with the raspherries," said Col- leen Cluthe. Foodland Ontario has a guide te, 331*pick-your-own farnis and 82 farmrers' markets in the pro- vinoe. Cail 1-800-ONTAIRIOf to get a copy or visit the library. It is recommended that old,. loose-fitting clothes be womn at SEE PAGEA3 Sucoessful flowers require proper soul preparation St. As summer finally dawns across most of Canada, it's time Sto put the garden in order. If you Shaven't already done so, now is the time to plant dahlias and gladiolus. Successful blooms start with proper soil preparation. Work in lots of organic matter before planting both of these spectacular ~Ifiowers and add some extra "fertilizer throughout the season te, Sti sustain their rapid and vigorous ~7growth. i Look for fertilizer that is very 19 high in potassium and fairly high in phosphorus. The former is especially important for the Lfl development of dahlia tubers, a critical factor for those who plan Ugh to keep the tubers over the winter. In addition, the phosphorus will boost floweing. -However, an ordinary granular fertilizer also wilI suffice, if the 0] nitrogen content is not too high. Plant dahlias in full sun. Ifyou >31 are planting tubers kept fromn last 15O year, propagate them by sirnply -separating the new growth from the old. Make sure that one iC stro>ng eye (or bud) appears on ___ach tuber, along with a bit of the old, stem. Place them about seven te, eight cm (three; in.) deep and cover with soul, adding mýore soil as the shoots appear. P , Both dahlias and gladiolus are tali and need support, for neither of them roots deeply and they produce many flowers on heavy stocks. When you plant the corms and tubers, be sure to include'a sturdy stake for ea.ch plant and, as they grow, tie the plant to the stake gently with strips of old cloth. Thrifty gardeners ofben cut up old pantyhose for this purpose or use twist ties from garbage bags. When watering summer- flowering bulbs remember that one long, generous watering is better than several short ones. If you have planted dahlias, tuberous begonias and other summer bulbs in outdoor containers, regular watering for them becomes even more crucial because they cannot absorb the water in the soul around them, outside the pot. RMn doesn't do them a great deal of good, either, as much of the water runs down the foliage into the soul around the container. If dahlias stop blooming due to insufficient watering, it is nearly impossible to, get them started again. So, a good layer of niulch is advisable te help maintain soul and mosture around the tubers. I caring for the sunumer garden, remember that lilies like SEE PAGE A6 MANY summer-blooming bulb nmy flowers on heavy stalks. Sup- flowers, such as the Dahlia 'My Love' port each plant and gently tic it to shown, are tail and need support as the stake as it grows. they do flot root deeply and produce Jam - the' nucrowave way Se. page A6 les rs. ,r'