34-The Canadian Champion, Friday, June 14, 2002 ( malV iÀ 4> .mi ~ I ~Jrz1j~j Dic uD the Differences Between Garden Soil and Potting Mix By Joe Sherinski (MS) - Summer in full swing and it's the perfect time to add the right ingredients to help give your plants that extra boost of nutrition they need. Unfortunately, many gardeners do not understand the differences and grades of the many garden soils and potting mixes available today. To help, The Scatts Company offers its expertise to improve the condition of in-ground gardens and provide con- rý« k me tainer plants a rich, nutrient-filled soil to call home. OUT AND ABOUT When mixed with native soil, a quality garden soil adds organic matter and nutrients which far sur- pass those offered by normal topsoil and manure. Also, garden soils are enriched with nutrients for stronger, healthier plants. Mirace-Gra®D Garden Sailifar Flawers & .f very/t!g fore py /oriie Mi'gde & out Sm on - -1 L a m -. JJ da m 9 Vegetables is a fine-textured blend of organic materials, sphagnum peat moss, manure and just the right amount of Miracle-Gro® Plant Food for annuals, perennials and ail types of vegetabes. The companys Garden Sbl for Trees, Shrubs & Ornamentals is a coarse-textured biend df farest praduct, sphagnum peat mass and manure ideal for a types af deciduous, evergreen, flowering trees and shrubs. Its fortified with nutrients plus phospharaus and iran, ta pramote vigaraus blooms, foliage and root growth. "Our customers told us that they hated ail the work that was involved in preparing soil every year, says Keith Baeder, Vice President of Marketing for Scotts Growing Media Division. These products are easy-to-use, time saving, all-in-one soils, with Miracle-Gro® Plant Food added. They take the guesswork out of planting while helping to alleviate the problems of moisture retention, fertilization and poor soil composition." IN THE 'MIX' For plants to grow weil in containers, today's premium soils feature such things as high moisture Continued from Page 35 Pool Safety... Continued from Page 33 the pool is not in use. 2. Supervise. No barrier can replace aduit super- vision. Children should always swim with a buddy who can help alert a "lifeguard" if there is a prob- lem. A parent, guardian or another adult who is supervising the swimming should be outdoors and in close proximity to the pool. Watching through a window is not enough. Should an accident occur, precious moments would be wasted trying to get outdoors. If a child is missing and pool is in the vicinity, check the pool first. 3. Personal Flotation Devices. Swimming ability, not age, should dictate when and what type of per- sonal flotation device (PFD) is appropriate for a child. Popular products like "swimmies," "water wings" and the like are not considered PFDs by the U.S. Coast Guard, who recommends that children who cannot swim use life jackets. 4. Prepare for an emergency. Have a cordless phone, emergency numbers, a first-aid kit and res- cue equipment near the pool. Learn CPR as an extra precaution. aN CASE ou EMERGENCIES Never assume that someone else is watching your children - they probably are not. If an accident occurs under your supervision, here are some life-saving steps to take: • if someone is drowning and is within reach, grab an extension, like a pole, for them to grab onto. If the person is out of reach, throw them a lifesaver. If you must enter the water to assist someone, always take some type of additional flotation. • Once the victim is out of the water, look for signs of breathing and consciousness. If the vic- tim is not breathing or is unconscious, cali 9-1-1 or your local emergency number and begin res- cue breathing (mouth-to-mouth) and CPR, if necessary. Even if you don't have formai CPR training, you can at least open a person's airway and breathe for them. SL026492